Fate, or Something Like It
by LuciFern
Summary: Akane has left the craziness of Nerima behind her, along with everyone she knows, or so she thought. She's surprised to find Ranma waiting for her at her new university. Can the past be forgiven?
1. Prologue

It has been 6 years, 8 months, 4 days and 27 minutes since I lost the last semblance of control over my own life. In the blink of an eye, I was engaged to a man I'd never met before and thus subject to the craziness that surrounded him. Over the course of the next two years, I involuntarily had my hair cut, was challenged to the death – or in my case, the forgetfulness – for the boy who ruled my life, kidnapped who knows how many times, attempted to be married almost as many times as I was kidnapped, turned into a doll, and almost died. All for the sake of a boy that I had grown to depend on, and secretly harbored the hope that he would honor the arrangement between our fathers over the later arrangement of his father and an okonomiyaki chef or the tribal laws of some Amazons living in the heart of China.

I know, it sounds like I'm just making this up, and this is supposed to be biographical, but I swear it's the whole truth. Six years, 8 months, 4 days and 32 minutes ago, I lost all hope of getting my degree. I'd lost all hope of anything but heartbreak and disappointment. It was through losing that hope that I gained the nerve to cut ties with my family, and leave everything I've ever known behind. If I hadn't, I don't think things would have ended up as they did, with me attending a school out of my home country and actually pursuing a relationship that is mostly stable.

Because I lost control over my own life, and then took it back, I have a man who loves me. This man knows my faults, supports me when my anger management sessions leave me in tears, and has rekindled my love of martial arts. He didn't set out trying to date me, or kiss me, or – Kami forbid – _marry_ me. He didn't lie to me, hide behind half-truths, or betray my trust. I can honestly say that he is my best friend, and that feels good.

I still have a long way to go, emotionally, and may one day truly forgive my family, but I wouldn't be surprised if it took me another 6 years, 8 months, 4 days and 50 minutes to do so. They hurt me, deeply. My father all but shut down when my mother died, and I don't believe that in the six months since I last tried to talk to him, he's suddenly changed. My oldest sister shut herself off, emotionally, when my father gave up, costing herself a potential relationship with the local doctor, and while she remained aware of what went on I don't think she was ever able to bring herself to care more than was deemed polite. My other older sister became very cut-throat, though she did mellow quite a bit when she fell in love; she stooped to new lows to make ends meet, selling pictures of me and my fiancé to our classmates and placing bets on fights that he and I inevitably found ourselves in.

My fiancé… well, he was chased by three other women with varying claims to his affections, and due to an unfortunate accident he was also pursued by at least two other boys. He rarely did anything to show that he might actually care about me, and in fact spent most of the words spoken about me to insult me for my looks, attitude, and brains; I'll be the first to admit that I was not the most observant of people, but that did not warrant the abuse he and his other suitors visited upon me. My would-be father-in-law was a lazy scoundrel who abused his son verbally almost as much as his son verbally abused me, insisted on pre-dawn wake ups and less than full stomachs, and enjoyed his sake and beer far too much. He wasn't a bad man, but he left a lot to be desired when it came to parenting. My would-be mother-in-law was cold, distant, and rarely seemed to be fully aware of her actions or the environment around her. She was kind enough, but so focused on traditional Japanese gender roles that she often was too out of touch to depend on.

As for myself, I let myself be controlled. I let myself be pushed into an engagement I didn't want, let myself be ruled by my emotions – mostly anger – and by the words that triggered them. I let myself feel helpless, and placed affection in all the wrong places; after all, I _wanted_ the engagement to work out, and let myself be controlled by the drive to see that happen. The boy was everything I thought I wanted: strong, excellent at martial arts, commanding, and my own age; I just didn't know that those weren't the qualities I needed. I needed someone to balance me out, to help me grow and mature since I didn't have family equipped to do that. I needed someone to listen to me and let me fail, not rescue me from everything.

I finally found that, but it came at a price, one that I was not really willing to pay. I had to get out of Japan and go someplace where none of the people from my past could easily find me. I had to give up my relationship with my family. I had to turn my back on family honor, and walk away from my betrothal. I had to walk away from the person who opened my eyes back when everything went wrong. I had to start over, and that's what I've done. Coming back here was hard, but now I need to see if I can reconcile with them. Now, I have to once again relinquish control, and see if they'll forgive me.


	2. First Term

I sighed. There was only one dorm room left, and it was in the coed building; just what I needed, a building with guys trying to "accidentally" walk into the wrong room. Shaking my head at my own pessimism, I carefully wound my way through the crowd to the building I had managed to get assigned to, taking care to keep my bags close to me. For once, I was thankful for all the hikes and trips and fights that had taken over my life the last few years. Even though I was much shorter than many of the other students here, I could jump up every now and then to get reoriented.

Finally I was at the door and making my way to the elevator. I don't care how many tons of brick I've broken, or how many times I had to carry Ranma or one of the others when we were wounded, I was **not** going to carry my bags up four flights of stairs. Pushing the button for my floor, I thought I saw a familiar head coming toward me. I had to be mistaken, though; no one had seen or heard from Ranma since before I announced I was leaving Japan. He'd disappeared one day along with most of his things. Daddy and Mr. Saotome insisted that he was just going back to China or where ever else he could to try to find a cure, but I didn't think so. I think it finally got to him, just as it had gotten to me; I just _knew_that he'd run away from all the expectations. Otherwise, he'd have taken Ryoga, Mousse and Shampoo with him.

I couldn't blame him, since I was doing the same. I just couldn't take everyone making my decisions for me. I didn't get any say in whether I was engaged or not, I didn't get any say in who I dated, I didn't get any say in getting a job, or going to school, or anything, and one day I just broke. I cried my ugliest tears into my pillow, having kicked P-Chan out when I found out he was actually Ryoga (and really, how did I not notice that earlier? He even wore the same bandana!), and started packing the next morning. Within a week, I was on my way to the US, and had even managed to get into a good school. Daddy was sobbing his eyes out when I announced that I was leaving, and refused to tell anyone where I was going. Kasumi showed just enough interest to pretend to care, and Nabiki surprised me when she gave me money to get started, a quick hug, and told me to "find myself". I'd qualified for scholarships and grants, and took full advantage of those.

I found my room, knocked on the door to see if anyone else was in there, and used the key the student services counter had provided to go in. It was a small sort of room, with two windows facing different parts of the courtyard below, an obtuse angle on one wall, and a small bathroom with the bare necessities. There were two twin beds, one already claimed by the blankets left strewn all over it, and my roommate had put up a few posters of famous martial artists. I opened the drawers below my bed and put away the few belongings I had that needed hiding, hung a few dresses, skirts and blouses in the modest closet, and set my laptop and clock on one end of the built-in desk, making sure there was room for the other occupant to use the desk without needing to move my things. I pulled out the single picture I'd brought from Japan, one with just my family smiling at something; I didn't remember what they were all smiling about, but it was my favorite picture since their smiles all reached their eyes. That would go on the night stand between the two beds.

I needed to get bedding and a book lamp for my bed, and some brain food for keeping nearby, so I made sure I had my wallet and went to the door. Taking one last look at the place and patting my pocket for my key, I turned around and ran face first into a man's chest. I backed up, embarrassed, and bowed a small apology, saying in my careful English, "So sorry, please forgive me." The person stepped aside without a word, and let me pass.

I got back a couple hours later with my arms once again full of bags, but this time I took the stairs. I'd spent most of my shopping trip thinking about the incident earlier. I could have sworn I closed the door when I came in, and I _know_ that the student services rep had told me that the doors lock instantly. So where did that guy come from? It's not like that could be my roommate, could it? Well, the decorations had looked rather masculine, but I wasn't one to judge, given my own interests. Would the school really let a man and a woman share a dorm room?

I was at my floor when I heard the giggling. There by one of the big windows was a throng of girls oohing and aahing over something I couldn't see. It grated on my nerves, reminding me too much of the girls of the Nerima Wrecking Crew and their fawning over my ex-fiancé. Heaving a sigh, I walked by them and caught what they were looking at: in one of the rooms on the floor, there stood a topless guy doing katas in front of his uncovered windows. He was nice to look at, but reminded me of my past too much. I cringed when it made me think of _him_, and kept walking to my room.

I didn't bother knocking this time, and turned my key in the lock. Making sure the door closed behind me, I went to place the bags on my bed and once again found myself face-to-face with a man's bare chest. The shock of it all caused me to lose my balance and I knocked myself and the man down, the bags falling and spilling their contents. I was mortified, desperately wanting to die; I had twice now run into my barely-clothed roommate – there was no one else it could be, logically – and now I had shown what a klutz I was. At least I didn't twist my ankle; that had happened far too often during the last few years, and it wasn't something a so-called martial artist should do so frequently.

I went to detangle my limbs from this man's, when he started laughing. It was a bitter sound, but also full of true amusement. He chuckled and it rumbled deep in his chest before his voice took over. I shuddered at the feeling of the chest all but purring below me as he said, in Japanese, #Still an accident waiting to happen, eh Akane?#

My eyes widened and I scrambled as far away from him as I could, shaking my head and covering my mouth as my eyes saw what my ears had heard. I wanted to run, but there was nowhere to run to. Of all the people I had cut ties with, he was the one I wanted gone the most. Yet here he was, laughing at me while he closed the curtains. I realized then that the girls in the hallway had been looking in _here,_ looking at _him_, and the tears just started coming. My breath hitched and I curled into a ball there in the corner of my new room. It was just too much, and I was too tired from my flights and shopping and carrying all my bags to do more than sob. I couldn't get angry, because who could I be angry at? It's not like the student services reps would have known about our past. It must have been fate, or something like it.

* * *

He came over to me and crouched down where I could see him, if I wanted to. The tears were coming faster now, harder, and I just wanted to scream about how unfair it all was. Eventually, my eyes dried, and while I still hiccoughed now and then, I had settled down. I was exhausted after that, a bone deep exhaustion that crying your heart out brings like nothing else. He'd let me get it out, going to my spilled bags and putting things away as best he could; he made my bed and left me some of my favorite rice candy on the pillow, storing the drinks in the small fridge and placing the bags of snacks and dry goods on the shelves lining the wall. When I quieted down, he stood in front of me and held his hand out.

I looked at the hand offered to me and instead used the wall for support. I didn't want to touch him, or see him, or hear him, or smell him on the shirts he'd left behind when he'd disappeared. I walked slowly around him until I got to my bed, and sat on it, staring vacantly at the curtains. He came over and knelt in front of me, forcing me to look at him if I didn't want to move. He closed his eyes and a pained expression crossed his face before he met my eyes and spoke, sticking to English this time.

"Why are you here?" He looked like he wanted to say something else instead.

I looked away, then back to him, sighing to steady my nerves. "I go to school here now. I left, and no one knows where I went. I don't want them to know. Please don't tell anyone." I all but whispered the last.

His eyebrow twitched, like he didn't believe me, but he nodded anyway.

"What about you? How did you end up here?" I asked.

"Pretty much the same way you did. Left in the middle of the night, didn't look back. Oddly enough, Nabiki helped me."

"You, too?"

"What do you mean?"

"She gave me some money to get started and gave me some contacts around bigger universities for a job. She also pointed me toward the best scholarships to apply for."

He looked thoughtful for a bit. I knew that Nabiki had changed a lot – finding her husband had helped her get past a lot of her demons – but I didn't think she'd been aware of Ranma's plans to leave; she was only aware of mine because I'd announced it a few nights before at dinner, so… "How did she know you were leaving?"

He rubbed at the back of his neck, and I felt the familiar pangs of sorrow for the boy I'd met so long ago at the gesture. "I told her. I needed some way to get out of there, and she was the only one I could trust not to rat me out."

It hurt to hear him say that, but that was how he felt. "You could have trusted me."

"Could I, Akane? Based on what? I couldn't trust you to not get hurt, I couldn't trust you to not interfere in my fights, I couldn't trust you to listen when I told you that I didn't like the attention. About the only thing I could trust you for was to get angry at me for no reason."

I couldn't keep calm enough to stay in English. #How about based on my going through it, too?! I get it, Ranma! You think you're the only one who needed out of there?# I sighed and shooed him away from my drawers, climbing down from the bed and pulling out my pajamas. "I'm too tired to fight tonight. I'll just say that I'm hurt you really thought I wouldn't understand the need to get away from everyone pushing their expectations on you. Why do you think I left?"

I went and changed in the bathroom, washing my face before I came back out. Ranma wasn't in the room, so I checked the windows, turned off the lights, set my alarm, and crawled into my bed. I didn't think I had any more tears to cry, but they started coming softly. I buried my face in my pillow and finally fell asleep.

I woke up before my alarm to find myself blinded by light coming through the windows. A shadow crossed me, and I peered through slit lids to find Ranma getting ready for his morning show for the ladies. Sitting up, I threw the covers off of me and stomped to where he stood, topless as usual, and made the first bad decision of the day: I picked a fight.

"What is wrong with you?!"

He paused his breathing exercise and looked out one eye. Choosing the better part of valor, he closed it and continued his routine, ignoring me.

After everything, from my family over the last 5 years to his rivals and other pursuers to my shirking of family honor to our conversation the night before, I just couldn't take it anymore. I'd never had a good grasp on my temper, preferring to take it out on cinder blocks or Ranma himself, but in the last few months I'd been trying. I didn't know how people could just keep a lid on it when it burned away inside you; it seemed to only delay and enhance the explosion once it came out. What I'm saying is, I didn't handle him ignoring me well.

"You ass!" I shoved him, making him stumble backward. "Some of us need sleep! Some of us need to adjust to life in another country! _Some_ of us aren't trying to get as many, if not more, girls flocking around them to stroke our ego as we had in Japan!"

He stood and glared at me before looking where I was pointing at the congregation of girls visible in windows across the courtyard staring intently at us, some drooling, some taking bets (probably on what our relationship was). Smirking at me, he asked, "What, are you jealous?"

Of course I was. Here was the only person near my own age that I'd ever wanted looking at me that way, and all he'd ever done was save my life and call me names. But, those are things I'd never tell him because I just knew that he'd tease me more. So, I slapped him instead. I slapped him, went to the windows, pulled the curtains around my head and glared at as many of the girls as I could before grabbing clothes and going into the bathroom.

I came back out to find him face first in my underwear from yesterday as he dug through my laundry. My head was throbbing, I was so angry. I pulled my mallet out, but just as I went to send him flying, he grabbed my arm.

"This isn't the dojo. They can't fix the walls and windows as quickly or easily as your family did. You hit me with that, and we're both out of school and out of a place to live." The mallet disappeared when I realized he was right.

"Just what do you think you were doing with my panties, you pervert?!"

"Keep your voice down! I know you hate me, but it wasn't like that. You need to get your temper under control, and fast, before you start making assumptions."

I seethed, but refrained myself from doing anything I might regret. Biting the words out, I repeated my question. "What were you doing with my underwear?"

"I don't want your underwear, you stubborn, uncute tomboy. Your clock was ringing, so I was trying to shut it off when it fell in your laundry."

My eye was twitching at this point, but I just nodded curtly and turned away. Grabbing my schedule and the books I would need for the day, I headed out of the room. Leaning against the closed door, I took a deep breath that shuddered as I exhaled. Damn it, I was crying again! He always did that to me; there were few memories of the two of us that didn't involve me sobbing at one point or another, he just didn't know that I cried every time I got angry with him.

Wiping my eyes, I squared my shoulders and set off to start my first day of school. First, though, I needed to eat something. Heading in the direction of the nearest kitchenette, I decided to make a few stops between classes. First, I would need to see if the school realized they roomed me with a boy. Then I would need to start looking for a job; while Nabiki had given me plenty of contacts and had set up a small allowance, life here would be more expensive since I didn't have Kasumi making meals all the time.

* * *

My first class was over. I was taking an English Second Language course to reduce my chances of making a fool of myself here, and so far I thought it would go well. Taking English in Japan meant that I was already conversational, but I didn't want to embarrass myself more than I already had; there'd been a few people pointing at me, and I'm sure they'd seen my outburst this morning.

Walking into the student union building, I browsed the wall covered with postings of people looking for tutors. Maybe I could get paid for Japanese lessons, or math. While I was looking, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned just in time to see a red and blue blur come barreling past me and stop in the middle of the room, pinning someone else down.

#And just what do you think you're doing, Ranma?!#

The blur of color spat on the ground near the other person's face before answering me. #You don't know this guy, I do.#

#So? You don't own me, and you don't know what he wanted. Get up before someone calls security.#

He got up, pulling the other man up with him by his shirt collar. "You stay away from her, you hear me?"

The guy gave a cocky smile. "Why, is she your girlfriend?"

I marched up to the both of them, slapping each as they stared each other down. Once I had both of their attention, I smoothed my skirt down before speaking as calmly as I could. "It's none of your business what our relationship is, sir. You have clearly done something to make this young man angry at you, so I'm politely asking that you leave me alone."

The American boy had managed to get out of Ranma's grip, and tried what I assume was his most charming smile. "Aw, now sugar, I just wanted to let you know how pretty you are. The frown on your face made me just certain that no one had told you that today."

#Funny, because when I ran into him in the hall this morning, he asked me if you cried while I 'did' you, and if he could have a turn tonight.#

#'Did' me? What does that even mean? What a nonsensical phrase for-#

"Hey, pretty lady, I don't speak Chinese. Maybe speak English since you're in America?"

I laughed, finally figuring out just what type of boy he was. "Funny, I don't speak Chinese, either. Maybe you should try not being a racist jerk, since you attend University and likely to find non-native students? And no, I did not cry while my roommate slept in his own bed, nor may you 'borrow' me tonight. As for how pretty I am, I neither need nor want you to comment on my appearance again." Rounding on Ranma, I opened my mouth to berate him, but campus security arrived to get control of the scene. They took the three of us to their office to figure out what punishment was needed.

* * *

Since I hadn't been involved in the fight, just was the catalyst, I had been let go. I rushed to my second class, calculus, and arrived shortly before the instructor began her lesson. One and a half hours later, I was wasting time in the library waiting for my next class to start, when someone sat down across from me.

"Hi."

I looked up, surprised to see three girls about my age sitting or standing there, looking at me nervously. "Hello?" I really didn't want a repeat of what happened, earlier, so I looked around to see if Ranma was hiding somewhere.

The women must have mistaken what I was doing, because the one who spoke first spoke again. "I'm Jen, and these are Lisa and May." She pointed to her two friends as she said each of their names, and they gave small smiles and quiet hellos. "I, um, I don't want to seem like I'm stereotyping you, or anything, but you really seemed to know what you were doing in class earlier and we were kind of hoping or wondering or whatever if you would study with us?"

I blinked as I tried to understand everything that had rushed out of her mouth, and blushed. "In math?"

The three nodded, before Jen spoke again. "Yeah, in math. We," she indicated herself and her friends, "took it last quarter but didn't do too well, so we're repeating the class."

"Okay. I'm Akane. Do you live on campus? We could study in one of your rooms that way, or take turns in each of our rooms, so we don't have to fight the crowds in the library."

Jen and Lisa shook their heads no, but May said that she did, in the girls' dorm. My heart sank as I realized that we'd have to spend half of our study times in my room. I didn't want Ranma showing off and distracting them, nor did I want them to know I had a guy as a roommate. However, I was the one to make the suggestion, so it was only my own fault.

"Okay, I'm in the coed dorm. I'll talk with my roommate and see if we can't arrange a schedule for us to have the room to ourselves. When did you want to start? We don't have class again for two days, so there's plenty of time, but I also have one more class today and don't know what the homework will be like."

Lisa perked up when she heard what dorm I was in. "Ooh, have you seen that kung fu guy what works out every day? I hear he's really hot, but never even says hi to the girls."

I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out when May spoke up. "I heard he had some girl in his room this morning that spoiled the whole show."

Jen got in on it, too. "Who do you think she was? His girlfriend?"

I was ready to beat my head on the table for what I was about to do, but it had to be done. "That was me. We're just roommates, but I have known him a long time."

They stared, and I was bright red, I was certain. "I'm sorry, I have to get to my next class, but if you want to study tonight you can come by room 403 in two hours."

They just nodded mutely, and I gave up any hope of having friends.

* * *

My last class, Anatomy and Physiology, was only an hour long, which gave me enough time to swing back by the student services desk and see if they realized their mistake in giving me my room assignment. Unfortunately, they insisted that my roommate was a nice Japanese girl, which could only mean that Ranma had gotten wet when he registered for his dorm. I trudged back to my room, grabbing some instant ramen on my way.

Turning my key in the lock, I opened the door slowly and peeked in to see if I was interrupting anything, and almost dropped everything at what I saw. Ranma was on his bed, reading, and the three girls I'd met earlier were on my bed or sitting at the desk sharing a pizza. I guess movement had caught his eye, because Ranma glanced up before making a big show of ignoring me. Coming into the room, I closed the door behind me, gave him the bowl of ramen, having lost my appetite, and said, #I need to talk to you later, if I may.# He simply nodded, not moving his gaze from the pages in front of him.

I walked to Jen, May and Lisa, smiling when they saw me. "I wasn't sure you'd be coming, after I embarrassed myself earlier."

May was the one to speak first. "Well, it wouldn't have been fair since we asked you to help us, and we're the ones that brought up…" she quickly looked at Ranma, then back to me, "that thing."

"Still, I appreciate you coming. I hope you weren't waiting long."

Jen offered me a piece of pizza. "Nope, we got here a few minutes before you did."

"Oh, okay. So, what did you want to start with?"

* * *

We'd spent 4 hours studying and laughing. It was nice to have some people to talk to other than Ranma, and they offered to help me get to know the area and some other people. Eventually, though, they needed to leave, and I needed to start looking over the chapters we'd be covering in A&P.

Of course, I still needed to talk to Ranma, and hope that I could keep from breaking things more than they already are between us. Taking a cleansing breath, I closed the textbook in front of me, and prepared to face the music.

"What did you want to talk about?"

I froze at how bland his voice was. I couldn't turn to look at him; I didn't want to see his reaction. My heart was pounding as I tried to put my thoughts to words, so I settled further on my bed and clutched my pillow to me. "I… I want to…"

"You want to what? I've got class early tomorrow, so don't take all night to spit it out."

My fists clenched in the downy material, but I needed to keep my cool. "I want a new room assignment, maybe see if anyone wants to trade roommates."

"No." His response was out almost before I finished speaking, and I looked at him in surprise. Seeing my face, he looked away, embarrassed. "I've been lucky here, avoiding water, but I don't count on that continuing. I'd rather not have to explain to someone about my condition."

I looked down at my hands, nodding slightly. "That makes sense, I guess." I took a little more time to figure out how to deal with that before speaking again. "In that case, I have some rules." Looking back at him to make sure I had his attention, I continued. "Do your katas all you want, but either put a shirt on, or keep the curtains closed. You're already famous as 'that kung fu guy,' but I'd rather not get pulled into any more rumors about you."

He gave a cocky grin. "Fair enough."

Pursing my lips, I gave my next rule. "Also, us?" I indicated between the two of us. "We don't exist. As far as I'm concerned, we never did. We are not engaged, we simply happen to know each other from Japan." He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "There will be no repeats of this morning. I don't need you to save me from everything; that was always one of the problems we had. I came here because I wanted to live my _own_ life, not the life everyone dictated for me. I handled the hentai horde just fine before you showed up, and I can handle perverts here. Seriously, Ranma, I don't want you stopping me from making my own choices again; you were right about the boy today, but don't count on your luck in the future."

He didn't look happy at that, so I clarified, "It's non-negotiable." He nodded, grudgingly.

"Fine, then I have a condition of my own." I looked askance, so he kept going. "I want you to do anger management classes or something. Your temper could get you in big trouble here."

I glowered.

"It's non-negotiable," he smirked.

Huffing, I agreed. "Fine, but you'll have to help arrange it. I'm going to be too busy looking for a job." I was hoping that getting a job on top of my classes would keep me away from him as much as possible. This morning had included an unwelcome thrill when he got protective over that boy.

"One more caveat, Akane."

"I'm listening."

"Do a kata with me in the morning." Puzzled, I asked why. He shrugged, saying, "Going over the forms really helped me get a hold on myself and settle in to the area. Might help you do the same; you did say that you came here to get some control."

It wasn't an unreasonable request, so I nodded. "I'd like to set aside some times for studying, so if you could be gone during those hours I would appreciate it."

"We can probably work something out."

"Good. And Ranma?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

To be honest, I didn't know what I was thanking him for, either. For being a familiar face? For picking up after I freaked out yesterday, or making my bed? For forging the path of escape from everyone else's demands? For never making a decision about his fiancées? "I don't know, it just seemed the right thing to say. Anyway, I'm calling it a night." Putting action to words, I grabbed my pajamas and headed into the bathroom, emerging a little later to add to the small laundry pile and climb into bed.

* * *

Things continued much the same way for the next few weeks. I got up at dawn to do a series of katas with Ranma, hunted for a job, had my ESL class twice a week, A&P lecture three times a week with a two hour long lab another day, and Calculus four times a week, followed by study group those nights. True to his word, Ranma had found a low-cost counselor for anger management training, and I did that weekly.

More often than not, my arrival to my room from therapy was preceded by tears, as the therapist had me try to see my past from other peoples' perspectives. I almost never liked what I saw, since no one likes to see themselves as anything other than the victim of circumstance when they fly off the handle. Those nights, Ranma and I would sit up and just talk, or we'd talk while he did another set of katas, depending on his class schedule and what we talked about. The rule during those discussions was that neither of us were allowed to do any harm; no paper tearing and no punching of pillows or anything of the like, which probably saved us each a small fortune, since we could be angry enough to punch holes. We usually talked about things from the past or new stresses from being in a different country and new school. We also made a point to stick to English, unless we got too upset to do it; that way we could keep from forgetting what we were speaking when we were out and about.

Study group was going really well. Lisa, May and Jen had really surprised me in how quickly they became my friends, as well as how quickly they caught onto the concepts in class. Our teacher was nice enough, but only explained things one way and would just repeat the same sentence if you asked for clarification. Thankfully, the book provided a somewhat different view of how and why the math worked. I was a little rusty, myself, but quickly got top marks in class, along with my study mates. Now that we were all more or less getting everything, part of the four hours a night we spent going over everything was spent goofing off and getting to know each other.

And that was my problem. I couldn't let them know about how Ranma and I knew each other, so I shied away from questions about my family, insisting that my reasons for being in the US were too painful to recall or too embarrassing. That wasn't exactly a lie, but I wished I could tell the truth. I especially wished that when the subject of boys came up. We were in May's dorm the night that happened.

"Akane, why don't you do something about that hunky roommate of yours? You two would be so dang **cute**together!" May was practically drooling.

I gripped my pencil tightly, counting my breaths to keep me from breaking it, while my eye twitched. "Why?" I tried not to be curt, but this was one conversation I really didn't want to have.

Lisa elbowed me lightly, teasing. "Have you not looked in a mirror lately? You're hot, so is he. It's like picturing your favorite celebrity couple, where they just look _right_ together, and you can't make up your mind which you want to be and which you want to be with."

At least they hadn't said it was because we were both Japanese. The few other girls in my classes that I'd talked to had made a habit of pointing out the various eastern Asian students, asking if I thought they were cute. Few things bothered me on this campus as much as the 'you're both Asian so hook up' game, but I was coming to accept it as part of living in the Midwest.

"He's just a friend," I insisted, frowning, "and barely that! I've known him for years, and trust me when I say that he's a jerk. You know he once strung along four girls at once? Did that for years. Had a couple guys going after him, too."

Their eyes bulged, before May recovered. "Then how the heck are you so willing to talk to him, let alone share a room with him? You tell me you aren't worried he'll do something perverted?"

I shrugged. "It's not that hard. He lived with my family for a while, and there's never been anything between us. He goes for girls who are less masculine than I am."

Jen's confusion was plain on her face. "Less masculine? Girl, you are quiet, smart, and pretty much only wear dresses and skirts from what I've seen. How are you masculine at all?"

"I grew up doing an eclectic style of martial art. That was a major turn-off for him, pretty much set the tone for our every interaction for a while." Seeing that they weren't done arguing their case, I sighed. "Can we just drop it?" Grumbling and rolling their eyes, they agreed.

* * *

A month after starting my new life, I had finally found a job: working as a waitress at a diner just off campus. It was not at all what I had hoped for, but I knew that I couldn't afford to turn it down. Thankfully, many of the staff were also students, so I was able to get work three days a week, fitting it in where I didn't have class. Ranma, being Ranma, had teased me about it, but he was doing no better financially; he'd managed to show off at a local dojo, so was hired to teach the beginners class twice a week. This gave me the ammo to tease him back, because the owners of the school had thought he was too cocky to teach anything more than the bare basics. At least we didn't have many expenses, so the income we earned was plenty.

Ranma insisted on eating at the diner on the days I was working, always showing up in time for my break; he claimed he'd spent too many meals alone in his room during his first quarter at the school, and that this was his way of sparing me the same; personally, I think he was just lonely since he hadn't managed to make many friends. Sometimes he'd bring classmates, sometimes other instructors at the dojo, and sometimes he'd just show up on his own. I'll admit that it was nice to have someone to talk to, and the walks home weren't too bad, either, going back to our roots of him teasing me and me trying to knock him off whatever he managed to walk on. The managers didn't mind too much, since he offered to escort all the students back to campus when we closed, but they did make me promise that I wouldn't be distracted while on duty.

Two weeks after I started my job, I had my first problem customer. The guy had insisted on ogling or grabbing just about every woman who worked there, and was harassing a lot of the customers, too, when I'd had enough. I went to talk to the manager about it.

"Is there anything we can do about that man? Half the customers are refusing to stay, and I've already had to calm down Marisol and Erica; they're refusing to go near that section of the floor."

"Not really, unless we want to lose even more business by calling the cops. I've already told him to stop, but we may need to take that last step."

I looked at the clock, realizing that it was almost my break time. If we didn't get rid of that guy, Ranma would do it for us, but knowing him and his luck, he'd get arrested for it later. "Can I take my break early? I have an idea."

"Will your boyfriend mind? He always shows up right as you go on break."

"My… Oh, he's not my boyfriend, he's just a friend who happens to be a boy. And as for whether he minds, I don't care. I think I can get rid of the creep, but just to be safe, do we have a picture of his face? Once he leaves, we should make sure to post his picture at the desk so everyone knows not to seat him or serve him."

"Hey, if you think you can clear him out of here without getting the cops involved, go for it. And that's a good idea about his picture, I'll be sure to get one before you're done. Give me your apron, and go do it."

Handing him my apron, I made sure I looked my best before walking over to the guy's table. I'd undone a few of the buttons on my blouse, and was silently thanking all the Kami I could think of that I was wearing heels as I stepped into view.

"Well, hello there, cutie! Come to keep me company?" He leered, and if he'd been a few hundred years older and a few feet shorter, he'd be a dead ringer for that old letch, Happosai.

"As a matter of fact, I am, sir. I'm going to keep you company all the way to the door." I gave a tight smile.

"Oh, don't be that way, sweetheart! Why don't you come sit here by me."

I'd apparently misjudged how much time I had to take care of this when a voice came from behind me. "I don't know, man, are you sure you want some macho chick like that to sit with you? You'd probably get crushed by those thunder thighs. Probably best to do what the lady says, and leave."

The color left my face when I looked over my shoulder to see my roommate trying not to laugh from where he was leaning against the wall dividing the floor into sections, only to come rushing back as I snapped at him, #What did you say? And what did I tell you about letting me handle things for myself?#

He rolled his eyes before answering, #I'm just teasing you, Akane.# He sighed and went to take his customary seat, telling me, "Don't take too long taking out the trash, I'm hungry."

I looked back at the pervert I was in the process of removing, and did my best Kasumi impersonation, smiling serenely as I leaned over. He was so busy staring at my breasts that he didn't even notice I'd picked him up until he was over my shoulder. I walked to the door and tossed him on his ass while my manager took a picture to post at the counter.

The guy blustered, yelling obscenities as he was informed he wouldn't be welcome back to our establishment. When he threatened to sue, I asked him, "On what grounds? A paying customer took you outside after you assaulted two of the waitstaff and who knows how many other customers. That is exactly what the police will hear, with witnesses to back it up, if you insist on escalating this conflict." I turned my back on him and walked back inside, where my manager gave me an extended break.

Buttoning back up my blouse, I sat across from Ranma, sipping a glass of water. "I told you I could handle myself."

He didn't even look up from his food. "Never said you couldn't, tomboy." That was as close to a nickname as he ever got with me.

"So, what was with all the insults, earlier?"

He shrugged, shoving a whole pancake in his mouth. Once his plate was clear, he leaned back and grinned at me. "Wasn't sure you'd be angry enough to lift that big a guy, otherwise, and still walk in those shoes."

Embarrassed, I looked away.

"So, you're off at one, right?"

"Of course, it's Saturday, isn't it? I need to change my shoes, then I'll be ready to head to class."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

As usual, he left enough money for his meal and tip on the table, and as usual, I grabbed it up and cashed him out before getting back to work.

* * *

Three months after I moved here, finals were fast approaching. Finals meant even more studying than normal. It also meant that stress was high, and I'd never handled stress that well. Therapy was helping, but it would take more than a dozen sessions to undo all the coping mechanisms that I'd developed over the last 21 years. Ranma and I were fighting nightly, which brought up nightmares of high school, which meant a lot of crying and a lot of Ranma running out late at night because he still couldn't handle girls crying. It had gotten to the point that we had to take turns studying in the room, leaving a note on the door for each other when it was safe for them to come in.

I was going back over everything that we'd covered in calculus with my friends when he broke the agreement, rushing straight for the bathroom but not fast enough for me to miss the red hair. I held back a laugh, and excused myself for a bit. "Why don't we take a break for a bit, while I go check on him." I got a saucy wink in response and two wolf whistles when they heard the shower starting up. Giving them a meaningful look, they grinned and gave me thumb-ups as they left the room, making kissy sounds and laughing; it didn't matter how many times I told them, they still teased me about hooking up with him. I got a change of clothes for him, and knocked on the door to the bathroom.

"Ranma? I got you some dry clothes."

"Towel."

"What?"

"I need a towel, there's none in here."

"Oh, okay. Give me a second." If there were none in there, then there were none clean. Setting his clothes on the floor by the door, I dug through my laundry and found the towel I'd used that morning. Passing it through the cracked doorway, I had to chastise him. "You should have told me you'd used all the clean towels. I would have washed more than just the one when I did my clothes yesterday."

He yanked the door open, snarl on his face, when the door caught the corner of the towel and ripped it off his hips, only to slip when the door bounced off the edge of the sink and knocked him off balance. This being Ranma with all his luck, he landed on top of me, face between my breasts and body between my legs.

Five years earlier, even just two, and I would have sent him flying and calling him every name I could think of. You could say that time had mellowed me, but it would be more accurate to say that I was just tired of it all. I knew there would never be anything between us, so there was no reason to freak out on him. Maybe the anger management sessions were doing more good than I thought, if I could be so reasonable about something like this. Or maybe it was just that I saw exactly what happened, and realized it was just not his day. Whatever the reason, Ranma was shocked to find that he was unharmed by his accidental groping, and grabbed his clothes before shutting himself back in the bathroom.

He came out, rubbing his neck awkwardly, while I was waiting on the electric kettle to finish boiling water for tea. "Sorry about that, Akane."

I smiled, deciding to have a little fun at his expense, keeping my back to him. "Sorry for what?"

"I didn't want to grab you like that. I mean, I didn't want to touch you. I mean-" Giggling at the door interrupted him, and I peeked over my shoulder to see the girls had taken the invitation of the open door as meaning it was safe for them to come back.

Lisa tried and failed to look scandalized. "Did we miss something?"

"Oh, nothing really, just Ranma couldn't keep his hands off me." I poured the hot water into four cups with tea bags and turned around. The look on his face was priceless, like I had just permanently locked him in his cursed form. I decided it was time to take pity on him. "Relax, Ranma, I'm just teasing. Nothing, girls, he just tripped a little coming out of the bathroom. Guess I should have picked that towel up earlier."

I handed him his tea with a small smile. "Why don't you finish your studying here. We're almost done, and I think you and I need to talk." He nodded and plopped on his bed, pulling out a book.

Giving the girls their tea, we finished going over the last two chapters. "Ladies, as much as I would like to spend more time goofing off, it's getting a little late, and I have work in the morning. I'll see you in class tomorrow?"

They gave their agreements, packed their bags, and left. Before she closed the door, Jen whispered something to Ranma that had him looking thoughtful. I waited until the door latched and gathered the mugs to rinse in the bathroom. "What was that about?"

Ranma pulled his book a little higher, and pretended he didn't hear me. Sighing, I set the cups on the small table with the kettle, and walked over, pulling the book out of his hands. Sitting next to him, I decided I would let whatever Jen had said go, and went with my other question. "What happened?"

He looked down at his hands, clearly embarrassed. "I was doing katas in the courtyard, when some guys thought it would be funny to use squirt guns."

I giggled, bumping his shoulder with mine. "At least everyone is out of the halls for now, so you could get up here quickly. Though, why didn't you use one of the communal bathrooms on the way up?"

"The two I tried were locked, and I didn't want to be seen like this so I didn't bother with the rest." He shifted to look at me. "You're really not upset about me barging in? Or me falling on you?"

I looked up at the ceiling, smiling faintly. "Not really. Everyone's so serious right now, it was nice to have that tension broken. As for you falling on me," I shrugged, looking out the window, "it's not really your fault. You couldn't have known that the door would bounce the way it did, and I _was_teasing you about the towels. Aside from all that, it's not as if you enjoyed it, me being as flat and unfeminine as I am."

He was quiet for a moment. "You would never be so calm about it, back home."

"I suppose you're correct. I like this, being able to actually talk with you, but I miss them. I wish they could have let us make some of our own choices, but would it really have made a difference?"

"What choices would you have wanted?"

Shrugging again, I continued to look out the window. "I don't know, I just felt as if everything was decided for me. I'm not even sure I would choose to not be engaged to you, but I would have loved the choice to, well, make choices about the relationship."

I felt him shift next to me. "How do you mean?"

I sighed. "I don't know how to explain it, really. To be able to decide for ourselves when the wedding would be? How much time we had together? If we were even compatible? Especially that; it's not as if Daddy and Mr. Saotome didn't ensure that we had other potential spouses, foolish as they were." I slid off the bed, bending to grab my pajamas from their drawer. "Haven't you ever wondered how different life could have been, if you'd had a say?"

"Well, I wouldn't have gotten so many fiancées, that's for sure."

I nodded, eyes watering as I closed the bathroom door behind me, not hearing what he said next.


	3. Second Term

This was getting ridiculous. I still couldn't speak, and I had work tomorrow. Scribbling on the whiteboard on my lap, I squeezed the squeak toy Ranma had picked up for me so he knew when I needed something. He laughed when he read it.

"I don't know, Akane, I think I like you better this way."

I glared at him, writing something else, and pointed at the phone, eliciting a sigh in response.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll call and tell them you can't work any time soon. What was your diagnosis, again? That's right, you have mono! How did you get it, again?"

I rolled my eyes at his teasing, while he let my work and his know that we wouldn't be available for the next week and a half. Lisa had written me, profusely apologizing for getting me sick, but she was in no better shape than I was. Really, I blamed Ranma because he was the one who handed me the wrong cup. He had to stay out of work to take care of me, and we both figured it would be safer for him to stick out the quarantine phase since we shared the room.

I'd had to drop my biology course for the term, but was able to get into a communications course instead. My History of Medicine and English professors had agreed to record lectures for me, and Ranma ran assignments to their offices. We'd set up a box of masks outside the door, and kept everything as sanitized as we could, so he could venture out into the great unknown and bring me food and clean laundry. I'd joked to him the day the doctor saw me that we should buy stock in Clorox, with how much we ran through.

The doctor was one more person misconstruing our relationship. At least the girls knew that we weren't dating, though they still teased me about it. Work was giving me some problems, even though he always bought something while he was there; some of the managers took exception to him hanging around, and I'd been lectured about letting 'strange men' hang around me – apparently, men and women weren't allowed to just be friends. I didn't know how Ranma dealt with it, if he had to deal with it at all. I squeaked the dog toy.

He read what I'd written, was silent. I squeaked the toy again, eyebrow up, showing that I was waiting for his answer. He finally started speaking slowly. "It's only come up once or twice, but I tell them you're just my roommate. No one bugs me about it after that." I scribbled on the board again. "I don't know why that doesn't work for you, Akane." He gave a cocky grin. "Guess everyone knows I'm too good looking to not be chased by every girl I meet." He winked, indicating the joke, and got a small smile and headshake in return. "You ready for your next round of katas?"

I nodded and set the board aside, wiping it clear again. Since I'd gotten sick, I'd started doing more practice, relearning rotations I'd forgotten, refining those I remembered, and learning new ones. It really helped me to feel like I wasn't just doing nothing, and I found it more than a little soothing. An hour and twenty-something repetitions later, I was sitting on the floor meditating.

Meditation was my favorite part of the whole routine. I got to let my mind wander, and more often than not it wandered to the person sitting next to me. It was strange, actually having a relationship with him that wasn't forced. I'd found over the last few months that we really did work as friends, and frequently had to re-center myself when I remembered that I was the one who'd messed that up in the first place. I was the one to offer friendship when we first met, and I was the one to ruin that because I had overreacted to my own barging in on him in the bath. He hadn't helped matters when he'd teased me about my body, but that didn't remove the blame of our broken friendship from my shoulders.

Not for the first time that week, I wished I could speak. I tapped the floor loudly enough for the sound to travel the room, indicating I was done for the time being. Looking at the clock, I realized that it was just about time to get the tapes of my history lecture. I wrote on my whiteboard for Ranma to run out and pick it up, as well as some soup for lunch, before going for a cup of tea. While he was out, I left him one more note before pulling out my textbook and notepad for studying. _"Ranma, can you forgive me for not keeping my word and being your friend?"_ I just wished that it hadn't taken me 5 years and some to apologize.

* * *

Anger management had me on edge. My therapist had been mentioning for some weeks now that it would be beneficial to bring Ranma in and talk about why I always reacted with violence when he was with another girl. I knew that it couldn't be put off much longer, especially now that it seemed Ranma was dating someone else. I'd been fighting with him again, ever since I found the napkin with the phone number on it. We'd been keeping our voices down, but resorted to throwing pillows and folded laundry at each other while trading insults. It just felt like a betrayal, but there was nothing to betray.

I was the one to demand that we have no romantic relationship, but he was the one who got jealous when boys tried to talk with me. It was all so confusing, and then one night I found the paper in his bag, lipstick mark and all. At first he'd try to talk to me, figure out what had me so riled up, but I fell on old habits and clammed up, expecting him to read my mind. Looking back on it, I think what hurt most was that he hadn't even mentioned it to me, like it needed to be kept a secret. He finally cornered me one night after work; I'd rearranged my schedule and hadn't told him, trying to avoid him as much as possible.

I was just around the corner from the diner when he jumped in front of me. "What the hell is your problem, Akane? I haven't seen you this pissed off since high school. What, did Shampoo show up and climb in my bed again?" I knew he was joking with that last bit, but it was too close to the truth.

I pulled out one of the pumps I wore for work and launched it at him like a throwing dagger. "Just leave me alone, you letch!"

He caught the shoe and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me against the wall. "Be careful how loud you yell, someone will believe you and call the cops." He sighed, rubbing his eyes with one hand while holding me still with the other. "You've been avoiding me all week, and you're **very** clearly upset; you wouldn't have let me catch you that quickly, otherwise. Just tell me what's wrong, I can't fix it if you don't."

I went rigid in his grasp. "I don't WANT you to fix my problems, you jerk!"

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my face, forcing me to look at him. He looked tired, as tired as I felt. Being jealous always wore me out, because eventually the anger would subside and there would be nothing but self-loathing. I sagged against the wall. "You didn't tell me you found someone. I had to find out while cleaning the room."

He blinked, a blank look on his face. I could see the confusion in his eyes as he tried to figure out what I was talking about. "What are you talking about?"

And, just like that, I was angry again. I broke his grip, grabbed my shoe from where it had fallen, and turned to walk home, only to stop when he grabbed me from behind and pulled me into a hug. That was probably the only way he could guarantee that I wouldn't punch him.

"No, really, what are you talking about? I'm not seeing anyone else, I swear! I wouldn't have time, between class and work and hanging out with my best friend – you, by the way, my best friend is you."

My voice was muffled from where my face was pressed against his shoulder. "I found that woman's number, the one who gave you a napkin with a lipstick kiss on it."

He was still for a bit, before I felt him rumbling against me. He started chuckling before setting me at arm's length away. "That's one of my student's moms. She's always hitting on me, and I guess she managed to slip that on me. I promise you, there's only room for one girl in my life right now, and that's you. **IF**, and that's a big 'if', I want to date anyone, I'll let you know." He got a strange look on his face. "I'm nowhere near ready to date anyone else. Now, I'm tired. You ready to head home?"

I nodded, sniffing back some tears, and promised myself that I would talk with Ranma about my jealousy soon. We started walking back to the dorms, when something he'd said struck me as odd. "What did you mean by 'anyone else'?"

He looked away, staring out at the road. "Nothing. Did I say that? Must not have translated right in my mind…"

It was obvious that there was something he wasn't telling me, but I decided we'd fought long enough, and let it go.

* * *

I was going over my essay on my way to class when I bumped into him. At least, I thought it was him; this person had the same build and smelled like he'd been exercising, though since I wasn't looking I didn't catch the color of his shirt. Come to think of it, the shirt felt far too rough for any of Ranma's. I apologized, stepped around the man, and continued onto class. Or rather, I would have, if he hadn't called my name.

#Akane, is that you?#

It definitely wasn't my roommate. I turned to look, and instantly wished I hadn't. #Hello, Ryoga.# I counted to ten in my mind, then put a polite smile on. #Can I help you?#

He got that look, the one he always got when I was nice to him, and I had to count to ten again. #Um, d-d-do you know how I can get back to Tokyo? It's probably obvious, but I got lost again.# He blushed and looked down.

#I'm sorry, Ryoga, I don't.# Looking back up at me, his eyes got wide and he started to look a little scared. I didn't have time to deal with him. #Look, I need to get back to class, so if you don't mind…#

He nodded and bolted off. That was weird, I thought, but shook my head and continued heading to class. I'd almost managed to forget the whole thing happened, when Jen came up to me in the library later that day.

"What's with Ranma?"

I looked up from the books I was going over, confused. "What do you mean?"

"He's been acting all weird since that guy this morning. You should have seen the look he gave him. Who was he?"

My mind blanked, trying to figure out who and what she was talking about. I knew that she'd had class with Ranma that day, but for the life of me I could not figure out what other guy she was talking about. And then it hit me. "This other guy, was he Japanese, wearing a yellow shirt and bandana?" When she nodded, I groaned. "That's just someone we knew from before we moved here. When did Ranma see him?"

"Are you joking? He was right behind you when that guy was flirting with you. He looked ready to kill someone."

I winced at the choice of words. Ranma had only once taken a life, and he regretted it enough that it cost us what tentative relationship we'd had; he'd blamed me in part for having to do it. "He wasn't flirting, he just gets lost easily and was asking for directions." I knew that Ranma was still mad at Ryoga for pretending to be my pet, but I thought he'd moved on from that. Besides, it's not like he was jealous – there was nothing between us, and nothing between Ryoga and me; this was the first time I'd spoken to him since I found out he was P-Chan, two years ago.

"Where was he going?"

"Tokyo."

"You're joking."

"Nope, he has the world's worst sense of direction. He's seen more of the world than National Geographic!" I smiled at my own joke.

"Wow. Okay, but it really looked like he was flirting with you, and since I don't speak Japanese, I just assumed from Ranma's reaction that…"

I nodded, ignoring her implication that Ranma was jealous, and looked back at the books in front of me. "There's some bad blood between them. It's for the best if Ryoga goes away and stays away."

My voice had gone distant, and she noticed. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head, shaking off the memory and refocusing on the room in front of me. "No, thank you. Though, I would like a girls' night sometime soon, if you and Lisa have the time. I already talked with May."

She smiled wanly at me and patted my shoulder. "I think that sounds like a good idea. If I don't get a hold of you soon, I'll have Ranma pass on the message."

"Okay. I'll see you later." I grabbed the books to put them back as she waved and walked off.

* * *

We were six weeks into the term when I finally got my girls' night. We still hung out about twice a week, but never for very long, and usually interrupted by something. Since we didn't have class together, time was spent helping each other with what we could. This night, though, was for us – no school, no roommates, just us.

I was putting the finishing touches on my hair and makeup when I heard something break. Peeking around the door back to the room, I saw Ranma sucking on his finger and a broken glass on the floor. He was alternating glares between the dish and the phone in his hand, so I walked over and, standing at arm's length to avoid as much of the glass as I could, grabbed the phone and told whoever was on the other end that Ranma would call them back later before hanging up.

Grabbing the dustpan, I brushed off the rug and swept the glass into a pile before pushing it onto the flat plastic and dumping it in the trash. I looked back at Ranma, who looked like he'd lost more blood than a small cut would account for. "What was that about?"

He was staring at me like a deer caught in headlights before mumbling around the finger still in his mouth. "Nothing. Can you help me with this?"

"Fine, but you better not bleed on my dress; it's the only one I have for going out." I pulled out the first aid kit and led him to the bathroom sink, carefully rinsing the cut before putting a bandage on.

He looked a little feverish, so I felt his face for a temp. "Are you okay? You look flush."

He moved my hand and skirted around me, packing his gym bag and seemingly talking to his clothes. "I'm fine." He cleared his throat before glancing at me and away again. "You look really nice tonight."

_I_ was having this effect on him? I fought a smile, deciding to play Kasumi if he was going to act like Dr. Tofu. "Thank you." I glanced at my clock, realizing that if I didn't hurry then I'd be late. "I've got to run, but I'll be back later. Have a good night!" I darted out the door, hearing a faint 'you too' before it closed. Tonight was going to be fun, I just knew it.

* * *

I stumbled into the room just after midnight, giggling just a touch too loudly, and immediately sobered up the little I still needed to at the scene in front of me. The room was completely dark but for the candles lit on every conceivable surface. There were two wine glasses and two plates that looked like they'd been cleared by two people. The small stereo we'd bought between terms was on, but no music played, having run through the cd. The air had a strong burnt smell, though I couldn't tell if it was from the candles or something else.

What grabbed my heart like a vice, though, was the sight of Ranma topless, sitting in front of the windows with his back to the glass. He had one knee up and the other leg bent parallel to his body on the floor, elbows on his knee and head in his hands. He was breathing deeply and slowly, the same rhythmic sounds I heard when I woke at night, so I guessed he was asleep. He was so beautiful, so fragile, so utterly Ranma, that I stopped breathing for a moment.

Moving carefully to not disturb him, I began blowing out candles as I put my coat and purse away and stepped out of my shoes. I picked up the dishes as quietly as I could and put them on the table by the bathroom door to be cleaned the next day. Finally there was just a single candle and a bowl of ash left. Confused, I put the bowl where I could find it in the morning, before kneeling to the side of my roommate.

"Ranma?" He didn't move, just kept breathing the same steady breaths that he was when I got back. I spoke a little louder. "Ranma?" He moaned, mumbling something unintelligible. At least he was stirring; taking that as a good sign, I reached out and shook his shoulder.

He started and flailed, nearly knocking over the candle I'd left burning. "Akane? When did you get here?"

"A couple minutes ago." I struggled to ask my question, not wanting to cause a scene after I'd had a great night. Weighing the options of how to phrase it, I picked what I hoped was neutral enough. "Who'd you have dinner with?"

He rubbed his face, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Hm? Oh, myself and a memory."

I sat next to him, not ready to go to bed anymore. "You want to talk about it?"

He looked away from me, jaw clenching. "Not really."

"Okay." We sat there for a minute or two, lost in our own thoughts, when a memory popped out at me from the depths of the locked room where I stored most memories of Japan. "Ranma?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy birthday." I leaned against his arm, resting my head on his shoulder and feeling him tense up.

Finally, he relaxed with a big, sad sounding sigh, resting his head on mine. "Thanks."

"Have you thought about calling or writing? I'm sure by now they've figured out that you haven't been away on a trip searching for a cure."

He tensed back up. "Have you?" There was an odd note in his voice, but I couldn't tell if it was sorrow or trepidation.

I picked up his hand from where it sat on the floor, entwining our fingers. Content to just share each other's company for a bit, I nodded. "Yeah. I just don't know what to say."

"Me neither."

We sat for a few more minutes before I straightened and stood, holding a hand to help him up. He took it and stood, still holding my hand, looking at it strangely in the candlelight. Without making eye contact, or even looking away from my hand, he spoke. "Thank you, Akane."

My heart thumped. Why was this happening? We were just friends, nothing more, so why did I feel like there's something I'm missing, some infinitesimal _thing_ that I could neither find nor figure out? I managed a shaky smile. "For what?"

He looked at me tiredly and grinned goofily. "I don't know, it just seemed like the right thing to say." I grinned back at him, remembering that first real talk we'd had in years, when I'd said the same to him. Taking my hand back, I grabbed my pajamas and went to change.

He was in his bed staring at the ceiling when I came back out. On a lark, I walked to where he was laying and bent to kiss his cheek. He must have turned to ask what I was doing right as I went for it, because before I could stop myself I had kissed him on the lips. I jumped back, stammering an apology and wishing him a hurried good night, before blowing out the last candle and climbing into my own bed. I relished the darkness, practically worshiping it as it hid the furious blush on my face, and masked the movement of my hand to my lips.

I was helplessly lost and I knew it, just as I knew that I couldn't go through it again. I sent a silent prayer that I hadn't just ruined our friendship again to any Kami who would listen before cursing myself for falling for him again.

* * *

We didn't speak for over a week, unless we absolutely had too. I couldn't face him; I was just too embarrassed by what had happened. He stopped coming by the diner and never hung out on study nights in our room. I didn't blame him; I spent as much time away as I could, as well. I was in the process of hiding at the diner when Jen showed up with her girlfriend right as I was getting off work.

I was coming out of the bathroom when she grabbed my arm and sat me at her table, wordlessly passing me a cup of coffee. I never drank the stuff, but accepted the cup eagerly. I'd known that this was inevitable; she and Ranma had become friends in their own right, both pursuing Chinese History majors, and had mentioned to me that she was worried about him.

"So what did you do to him?"

I choked on the brown liquid I was sipping. "Nothing! I swear!"

She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, giving me a skeptical look. I looked at Julie, her partner, and got no sympathy there as she was carefully examining her nails.

I raised the cup to my lips again, eyes closing as I took a drink. "I might have – accidentally! – kissed him." I didn't dare look up, instead looking into the cup as if the mysteries of the universe were being explained to me. Because I wasn't looking up, I almost missed the grin on Jen's face. Almost.

"So? Did you slip him the tongue?"

I stared at her. "Jen!"

"What? I'm just doing my due diligence as friend to you both. Besides, Ranma wouldn't tell me how it was other than 'nice.'" She couldn't stop grinning.

My brain was shutting down from overload. Ranma had told her? Why would he do that? What is he really doing now that he's not with me? "He told you? Ooooh, I'm going to **kill** him!" I slammed the cup on the table, standing in preparation of hunting him down, but before I even took two steps, Jen grabbed my arm again.

"Hey, hey! I was just joking!"

I looked at her, betrayed. "Why would you joke about that?"

She shrugged, not letting go of my arm, looking sheepish. "I just… I just thought that if you thought he said it was 'nice' then you'd get your head your head out of ass and go out with the poor bastard."

I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't deal with another person I trusted, counted as a friend, trying to manipulate me like that. I pulled free, grabbed my bag and ran. I didn't stop running until I got back to my room, throwing open the door and dashing inside. Aiming for my bed, I instead ran into Ranma and I didn't care. I just held onto his shirt, sobbing. After a couple of minutes, he put his arms around me and rubbed my back, making soothing noises. Eventually, I stopped crying, rubbing my face on his shoulder to dry it, figuring that he can change his shirt if he needed to.

"You wanna tell me what that was about?" He'd set me on my bed, grabbing a fresh shirt from his drawer, and knelt in front of me.

"I'm sorry."

He blinked in surprise, but nodded his head. "Not sure what for, but I forgive you."

I looked at my lap, fidgeting. "It's just, it's Jen. She said something stupid about us dating and her trying to 'help' us get there and I snapped." I closed my eyes, leaned my head against the wall and took a few deep breaths. "I can't take another person doing that. It just hurts so much. She's my friend!" I looked at him, emotion openly showing in my eyes, willing him to understand.

He squeezed my knee before patting it, standing up. "You're done with everything for the day?" I nodded. "Okay. I'll be back when my lecture lets out. We'll talk then?" I nodded again, watching him leave. Going to a corner of my bed, I found the bag with the silk shirts I'd found after he'd left all those months ago. I pulled out my favorite of the two and changed into it from the dress I'd worn to work, climbed between my sheets, and fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up an hour later when someone knocked on my door. I didn't have time to do more than open my eyes before I heard the door open and Ranma speak.

"Don't bang on the door, she's probably asleep." Taking that as a cue, I closed my eyes and burrowed further under the blanket.

"I need to apologize, though. She was really mad when I said what I did earlier." So, Jen was with him?

The voices had moved closer and I heard the door close. "I don't blame her. It's really not your place to force her into a relationship, and she **really** hates having people try to play matchmaker."

"But… but that's not what I meant! I mean, the way you two dance around each other, you'd have to be blind not to see that you want it!"

Ranma didn't sound happy at her. "That's still not your place. Akane and I are just friends, and that's all we'll be unless she makes the choice herself."

"But why? Why can't you just make a move, already?"

I heard a sigh. "Listen. What I'm about to tell you does not ever leave this room, and Akane can never know I told you. She'll kill me." I had a sinking feeling I knew what he was going to say, and the hushed tones he spoke with only served to confirm my suspicions. "Akane is engaged."

"She's what?!"

"Keep your voice down! Kami, I'm going to regret telling you this, I know it." He paused, and I prayed he wasn't looking my way. "She's engaged. Her dad set up an arranged marriage that she's been putting off for five years. The guy's okay, but he's always been a real asshole to her. I don't think she hates him, at least I haven't heard her say it lately, but she does **not** want to marry him."

I clenched my jaw. I couldn't believe he was telling her that! But, if it meant no more meddling…

"So, what's wrong with the guy? You say he's okay, but is an asshole? How does that even work?"

Shit. "The moron spent most of the years he's known her calling her names like tomboy, macho, sexless, uncute, you get the idea." Shit, shit, shit!

"So, she's engaged to you?" SHIT!

I put my hand over my mouth, hoping that they didn't hear me say that.

It seemed the Kami were smiling at me. "What do you mean by that?"

"She once mentioned that you called her names like that, and that's how she knew you'd never try anything as her roommate. That, and you just blushed like whoa."

"It's not my place to say."

"That's practically a yes, you know. But, nah, she likes you too much to be engaged to you. I bet it was that other guy, the one who was looking for Tokyo; Akane seemed pretty cold to him."

There was a slight pause, and I could imagine the dark look on Ranma's face. "It's not my place to say."

"Okay, okay, I get it. Sorry I pried." She sighed. "I hope she doesn't hate me; it may not seem like it, but I have a little trouble making friends, being a dyke and all, and that never bothered her. I promise, I won't push any more, and I won't tell anyone. Just… just think about it? You're both so skittish about the idea of liking each other more than just as friends, but I meant what I said: everyone can see it."

"Like I said, it's up to her."

"Okay, okay. Tell her I'm sorry. I'll see you in class."

"Will do." The door opened and closed, and I heard Ranma moving around the room, before going into the bathroom.

I shifted on the bed, peeking over the blanket to make sure it was safe for me to get up. Apparently, the Kami weren't smiling on me quite as much as I thought, as the first thing I saw was blue eyes looking unimpressed. I squeaked. At his bemused look, I cleared my throat. "I thought you were in the bathroom."

"Nope, just closed the door." He had me at a disadvantage, and he knew it. "So, going to kill me for sharing your deep, dark secret? Or going to kill me for solving your problems?" He asked it as though one of the choices was inevitable.

I frowned, confused, before realization dawned on me. I shook my head, still too worn from the day's emotional rollercoaster. "There really wasn't any other way to get her to stop. And, you at least let me try to fix it myself."

He smiled disarmingly. "Oh, darn, and here I thought my last memories would be of your lips on mine."

I just looked at him until the smile faded. "Did you mean what you said?"

"Would I have said it, otherwise?"

"Considering how contradictory your statements a few minutes ago are to your statements of years past? Yes."

For a brief second, he looked hurt, before grinning at me. "Ah, true enough." He got serious. "Yes, I meant it. You get to decide what you want to do."

I sat up, thinking about just how confused and conflicted I was, not remembering that I was wearing one of his shirts.

"Where did you find that shirt? It looks just like…"

I looked down then over to him. "Just like what? Just like the shirt you wore when you sailed to China to get me back?" I shrugged, trying to ignore the blush burning my cheeks. "I found it after you left." I looked down at my hands resting on my lap, toying with the blanket.

"You know that we're going to have to talk about it sooner or later, right?"

"I do, but not now, Ranma. Please."

He nodded. "Soon?"

"Soon. I promise."

'Soon' was a relative term for us, and got pushed back further and further as we fell back into our routine. We were once again doing katas in the morning, hanging out during breaks at the diner, walking home together, and he once again stayed in while the girls and I had our hang outs/study nights. Jen kept her word and stopped talking about us hooking up, even going so far as to tell Lisa and May to stop it, as well. Ranma and I, though, we put a little more distance between ourselves.

* * *

It was finals week, and the week I promised my therapist I'd bring Ranma in for a joint session. I still hadn't told Ranma, but seeing as my session was in two days, I needed to let him know as soon as I could. It was for that reason alone that I stood in front of the dojo he taught at, staring blankly at the awards displayed in the window and the words 'karate' and 'aikido' written prominently on the glass. This was where people learned martial arts? It was a far cry from the traditional buildings I'd grown up in and around.

I stepped inside and was disoriented further by the stark white brick walls and the wall covered in mirrors. The blue mats on the floor made a practical kind of sense; the wood in the floors had no give, no bounce, so the mats were needed to protect participants from injury. There were a few handfuls of folding chairs set away from the practice floor scarcely filled with who I assumed were parents of the students. There was a small laminate counter in one corner near the front of the building with two men behind it.

"Can I help you, miss?"

Startled, I turned and stared, recognizing the man talking as one who'd come by the diner with Ranma a few times. "I need to speak to Ranma Saotome, if I may."

He smiled, clearly trying to be friendly. "You're Ranma's girl, right? His class is almost done, if you want to have a seat over here." He pointed to one of the empty chairs.

I bowed my thanks and headed for the seat. "Thank you, but I'm not his 'girl,' we're just friends." Not really true anymore, I wasn't sure what we were, but it was my story and I was sticking to it.

He shook his head, a funny look on his face. "Miss, you're either his girl or his sister. I've never seen a guy get as protective, irritated, or thrilled as that boy does over you." I didn't need him to tell me how Ranma felt, but it was still nice to hear it. "You keep being his friend if that's what you want, Lord knows the boy needs some, but keep in mind that 'friend' ain't the first or even second word he thinks of for you."

I thanked him again and sat to watch the rest of the lesson. The students weren't bad, Ranma seemed to have an affinity for teaching. I did notice that none of his students were older than ten, from the looks of it, and most of the other observers were aptly looking at their kids. One woman, however, was watching my roommate almost hungrily. She was so focused on him that she didn't seem to notice when the students were dismissed or when a little boy of about six came up to her.

"Mommy! Did you see, did you see? Sensei said I did good!" The woman snapped out of it, looking unimpressed at the kid before pasting a fake smile on her face.

"That's great, sweetie. Hey, let's go thank Sensei." She stood and walked over, hips swaying.

My hands clenched on my skirt, watching her. She hit all my buttons, reminding me far too much of Shampoo with her predatory look. Her clothing choices were a cross between Ukyo and Kodachi, wearing an overly tight top and pants that must have been painted on. Great, she was everyone I hated being around Ranma all rolled into one.

I didn't need to move closer to hear the sultry note of her voice as she offered to thank Ranma _any way_ she could for putting up with her son, nor to hear the oh-so-polite yet devoid of any real feeling assurance he gave her that it was no problem, and her kid was a pleasure to have in his class. The last was at least true, given the way he looked at the little boy. She must have been the woman who'd snuck her number into his bag. Gritting my teeth and trying to keep a calm face, I decided to bail him out of the corner she was pushing him into.

#Is this woman bothering you, sir?# We had a habit of speaking to each other in Japanese when we didn't want to let other people understand us. This was the perfect time to do it.

"Akane!" Seeing me, he panicked, and I had to hold back a laugh at how time folded. It was like looking into the past, only finally seeing what I couldn't see then. He put his hands out, pleading at me with his eyes, while she pouted and hung on his arm. "It's not what it looks like, I swear!" I could see the sweat forming on his brow, and decided I'd play just a little longer; it felt nice to go back to familiar ground, almost like coming home from a long absence. I just needed to make sure I didn't take it too far.

"Ranma!" I growled his name, before glaring at the woman.

She gave me a once-over, before looking back at him. "Your sister seems to have a temper." My eyes widened, realizing the trap I'd gotten myself into. "I mean, she is your sister, right? She's nowhere near cute enough to be your girlfriend."

I saw red, ready to show her just how bad a temper I could have; she hadn't **seen** uncute, yet. I itched for my mallet, but before I could even move Ranma had moved behind me and pinned my arms to my sides.

#Easy, Akane, she's just threatened by you.# I knew that, but it helped to have him say it, even if he was doing it because he thought I'd mallet him next, otherwise.

I relaxed a little, twisting to put my arm around him. "Actually," I looked the woman straight in the eye, "he's my fiancé." I'm not sure who was more surprised by my statement, Ranma or the woman, but it seemed to get the point across, as she grabbed her kid from where he was talking with some classmates and stormed out.

I let go and moved away, bowing an apology to him. "Sorry, that was the first thing I could think of to get her to leave you alone. Is she the one from earlier?" I looked up at him, seeing a visage not unlike Genma whenever Ranma and I had tolerated each other at home; I could practically see him planning the wedding then and there. I waved my hand in his face, trying to snap him out of it. "Ranma?"

He was still grinning, but clearly in the here and now, his eyes sparkling with pent up laughter. "Your fiancé, huh? What happened to 'just friends'?"

I punched his shoulder lightly, looking away. "I told you, I just said it to get her to leave you alone; you looked like you had seen a cat, the way she was cornering you."

"I'm teasing you."

"Well, don't."

"Sorry." I looked back to him and smiled, letting him know that I didn't really mind.

"She's the woman from before, right? The one you said never stops?"

His turn to look away, rubbing his neck in that endearing manner. I mentally slapped myself, needing to stop thinking with my emotions. "Yeah. Her kid's great, but she always tries to touch me. You know I've never been that comfortable when people touch me."

Except me. Why were we dancing around this? "Yeah, I know what you mean."

He went for his bag, sitting in the corner of the room. I waited until he grabbed it and came back. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence? You've never come by work before."

"I have a favor to ask of you." He looked at me, eyes and face neutral, waiting without judgment. "Can you come with me to therapy this week?"

He kept staring, and I started to get nervous again. "Sure. I told the doc I'd come, when he mentioned it at my last session. He wanted to make sure you didn't forget to bring me."

Shocked didn't begin to cover my reaction. "You're seeing the doctor?"

He started walking to the door, and I fell in step with him. "Well, yeah. How do you think I found one who could put up with an angry macho chick like you so quickly?"

"Oh, okay. I guess if they could handle an insensitive jerk like you, then someone like me would be a piece of cake." I smiled to take the sting out of my words.

"My thoughts, exactly, tomboy."

We passed the counter and I again bowed thanks to the man from earlier, when he spoke. "Miss, you've got an interesting battle stance. Perhaps you'd like to give a demonstration of what you know sometime?"

I was not expecting that. Most people saw me and saw a small Japanese woman, perhaps with strong legs, but rarely did they see a martial artist. I bowed again. "I would be honored."

"Come by any time with your friend, there, and we'll work you in. You two have a good day."

"Thank you, and you as well." Ranma gave a small wave in parting, not saying anything.

We were four blocks from the diner, my shift starting in half an hour, before I couldn't take it anymore. "What?" I looked at him, irritated by his silence. I just _knew_ that he was avoiding making fun of me again.

"Nothing, just surprised that the old man saw your potential. You hide it pretty well with those frilly dresses you're always wearin'."

That was not what I'd been expecting. "Oh." We walked a little further in silence.

"I can't stay for long, but I'll be by at seven to pick you up from work. I gotta get back and shower before class; I normally do at the dojo, but then you showed up." That's right, he had class when I had my break that day, so I wouldn't see him for a few hours. That bothered me for some reason. Who am I kidding, I knew exactly why it bothered me, but there was nothing to be done about it right then.

We'd reached the diner and walked in, getting a table. Ranma had his usual salad and steak while we just enjoyed each other's being there, before I had to punch in and he had to head back to the dorm.

* * *

Wednesday rolled around, and with it my last final. Of course, it also brought my anger management session, the one where I had to talk to Ranma about getting jealous. The therapist had insisted that I couldn't move on to letting go of my anger at my family and everyone else until I could let go of my anger at the person there with me. This was easier said than done.

"So, Akane, why don't we start with you?" Either Doc James was blind, or he was ignoring the tension in the room.

"Letting go of my anger at him would be a hell of a lot easier if he'd stop pissing me off." I glowered at a spot on the wall, not wanting to look at either man in the room with me. Ranma huffed, and I could just imagine the way he rolled his eyes, or snarled at me, or maybe just sat as if nothing was desperately wrong with us. Imagining it was enough for me to snap again, looking at him. "WHAT?!"

"I didn't say nothin'." He was leaning on the other arm of the couch, head resting on his fist. He was picking up dialect and idioms much more quickly than I, but I'd heard this particular one so often in the last two days that it was impossible to not know what he meant.

"Yeah, well, you **never** 'say nothing,' do you?"

I whirled to look at Doc when I heard a noise, mouth agape in horror at what I saw. I'd seen it hundreds, if not thousands, of times before, and it was wholly unprofessional: he was biting his lip to keep from laughing. He saw me, and started to regain his composure. "I'm sorry, Akane, that was improper of me." He glanced at Ranma, and started laughing outright.

Ranma, when I looked at him again, was sitting far too innocently. I kept my glare on him while Doc calmed down. He coughed, and tried again. "Again, my apologies. Now, Akane, why don't you start with what he's done most recently to upset you?"

I didn't move my eyes from that suspiciously serene look while I answered. "He won't stop bringing up something I shouldn't have said the other day. I told him when I'd said it that it was said for a specific reason, and was not to be taken seriously."

"And what was it you said?"

Ranma smirked at me as I panicked. I took some calming breaths before continuing. "As you are aware, Doc, Ranma and I are engaged to be married, according to our parents. As you are also aware, coming here meant that we agreed that there was no relationship, that we were starting over as friends." He murmured his understanding. "Since coming here and living in such close quarters," Ranma looked surprised that I'd talked so openly about it in my previous sessions, "we've managed to become friends, true friends, for the first time since we met."

"Yes, you've mentioned that before."

"As friends, we help each other when we get in trouble." Ranma was starting to sweat now, and I grinned. "Well, Ranma was in trouble at work, and I helped him. He was being harassed by a student's mother, and I got her to leave him alone."

He couldn't take any more, apparently, because he gave in to my taunting. "I didn't need your help!" He never liked the insinuation that he couldn't handle something, having once claimed that 'real men' can handle anything. I stuck my tongue out at him, glad to have gotten to him finally.

Doc wasn't satisfied with my answer, though. "And how did you manage that, Akane?"

I bit my tongue in my surprise. I'd forgotten that he wanted to know what I'd said, initially. "I, um, I, you see, I kindofsaidthathewasmyfiancé."

Ranma stuck his tongue out at me. How original. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch all that. You what?"

I closed my eyes, not liking the way this was going. "I said that he was my fiancé. She wouldn't leave him alone, otherwise."

"I see. And Ranma," his turn to look worried, hah! "Why have you been giving Akane a hard time over this? She's made it clear that you are only friends, and did what friends do – help each other when put in a bad spot. If she hadn't stepped up by saying that, what would you have done about your student and his mother?"

He blushed, looking uncertain. "I… don't really know. The Master of the dojo is aware of the situation, but I'm not confident that he wouldn't feel obligated to side with the customer if she complained, which I believe she would have if I was more firm in my refusal."

"More firm?"

He frowned, looking at his lap. "Yes. I've stated to her repeatedly that I enjoy teaching her son martial arts, but I have no interest in her or her family outside of my class."

"And your methods weren't working, so Akane acted as a friend and helped you. There's nothing dishonorable in accepting help, you know." Doc sighed. "I'm afraid that Akane is right, it was rather rude of you to tease her over the aid she gave you. Although, Akane, are you certain that you couldn't have chosen something that wasn't such a sore subject to defend him with?"

"I suppose I could have claimed to be his sister, but I don't believe that would have made her leave him alone."

"I suppose you are correct. Now, how is Ranma teasing you about it?"

We both blushed, but Ranma was the one to speak up. No calling him a coward over this, I see. "Between that and the accidental kiss a few weeks back, I…" I heard him swallow. "I made her a promise that I wouldn't push her into anything, but it's difficult to hold to that when she's throwing everything I've ever wanted at me like this."

I was just teasing him the same way he'd teased me for years. Did that mean? I couldn't believe it, he'd always ruined his romantic gestures by being a jerk. But if he was being honest, didn't I owe him the same? "Ranma? Do you love me?"


	4. Third Term

_Author's Note: I'm back! Finally got my stories off of the other computer, and I'm back to work. To be honest, I'm not really happy with how this chapter turned out, but it's as good as I think it's going to get. Half-way done with the story! I've got some ideas on Ranma's story as well as a few other characters in this chapter, but it will be a bit before I get to that._

* * *

I beat my head on the table in front of me. Things had been so promising two weeks earlier, but now that classes had restarted, things were falling apart. I was dreading study nights, which were an inevitability given that Lisa and May were in three of my classes this term, and Jen was in more of Ranma's classes. Prerequisites were mostly out of the way, and so we'd be seeing more of each other. It was oddly serendipitous that of the three friends I'd made, excluding Ranma, two were pursuing degrees similar to my own and one was in the same Major as my… fiancé.

I beat my head again, groaning. We'd had to set new ground rules, and we were still feeling those out. I'd hoped to have more time to really understand what I'd gotten myself into when I found out just how little time we'd be getting to ourselves.

Fingers. Fingers were snapping in front of me. Why was that grabbing my attention? "Earth to Akane, is anybody home?" May was sitting next to me, Lisa sitting backwards in her chair at the table in front of mine.

I resisted the urge to beat my head further. It had never helped with problems in the past, it wasn't going to help me now. "What?" I poured all my frustration into a single syllable, wincing at the hurt look in my friend's face. "Sorry, I've had a rough couple of nights. What were you saying?"

My friends shared a concerned look, and May felt my face for a temperature. "You don't feel warm or cold, and your color's fine, so you're not sick. What's going on?"

I opened my mouth, not sure how to answer, but was saved by the A&P professor beginning his lesson for the day. An hour and a half later, though, and I still had two friends who refused to leave my side. It wouldn't have mattered anyway; we still had two more classes together that day.

"So, what was with the head banging earlier?" Lisa forged a path to our next class. "Ranma giving you problems over break?"

"Oh, you could say that." Ranma was giving me a lot of problems, but nothing that a few hours away from work and school wouldn't fix. Ten minutes in the shower with an adjustable shower head would solve a lot of my problems, too, if you get my drift. Our biggest problem was my tight schedule at school and trying to maintain my 20 hours a week at work. By the time we got home in the evening, we were too tired to do much more than pass out.

I was stopped by a hand on my arm, and two worried friends looking at me. "Ranma didn't get a girlfriend, did he? We know, we're not supposed to bring it up anymore, but you were so into him and we don't want to see you get your heart broken." Sorry, girls, but you're years too late for that.

I laughed, a true laugh that caught them by surprise. Shaking my head and grinning, I nodded for us to keep walking. "Oh, he got a girlfriend, but that's not the trouble." They stared at me as I found some seats together in our next room. "Besides, I'm engaged, myself, so it wouldn't be seemly to get too attached to someone while away for studies."

"What?! You're engaged? How did that… when…" The professor glaring brought the conversation once more to a standstill.

Another class over, and we picked up where we left off. "I've been engaged for five years."

"Is that why you never talked about your home?"

I nodded. "Yes. It was arranged before I was born, I found out when I was 16. He didn't like it, either, so we've both been fighting it for a long time."

They looked thoughtful. "So, why bring it up now?"

I shrugged. "Things changed." We had arrived at the spot near the library where we'd agreed to have lunch. Ranma and Jen were already waiting for us, as was Julie. I didn't know her well, but Jen was madly in love with her, so I tried not to shut her out when she was around. Of course, knowing that Jen was too wrapped up in her own love life made her constant presence around Ranma much more bearable. I tried not to get too jealous, but old habits die hard.

Ranma didn't look up, but I knew he knew I was there by the way he tensed his shoulders. I loved those shoulders, the way they cradled my head, the way the muscles shifted as he guided me through new katas. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. Jen looked up and smiled, before going back to finger combing her girlfriend's hair, and Julie waved, as we got there. I sat by Ranma's feet, not close enough to make people suspicious, but close enough to brush against him as I settled my things. I passed him his lunch once he'd set down his book.

Lisa didn't drop the subject from earlier, announcing what I'd told her to the whole group. "So, who else didn't know Akane was engaged?"

Years of practice eating around smiles and frowns was the only thing keeping me from Ranma's fate. He was choking on broth, noodles falling out of his mouth.

"So, I take it no one knew?" May passed Ranma some napkins and patted his back to help him breathe again.

There was a moment of silence before Jen spoke up. "I knew." She fixed Lisa and May with a stare. "And I'm assuming that if she told the two of you, then you were bugging her about her love life, again."

They had the grace to look ashamed, but I laughed it off. "It's not that big a deal." Someone coughed and I grinned. "Besides, we were actually talking about Ranma's love life, and how he recently got a girlfriend!"

Jen moved her stare to Ranma, confused. "But, I thought… Never mind. So, who's the lucky girl? Anyone we know?"

I laughed at the look the only man in our circle was giving me, and played with the ring in my pocket. He grunted. "Go on, blabbermouth. You're the one telling everyone's secrets."

"Well, all I can say is that she's not Chinese, not a chef, and not a gymnast." He rolled his eyes at my antics, but moved so that we were sitting hip to hip and put his arm around me. The silence was deafening.

Jen squinted at us, as if looking for the lie, before pointing at Ranma and yelling. "YOU! You let me think it was that other guy!"

"What other guy?" The rest of our friends were coming to their senses.

He raised his hands defensively. "You thought what you wanted to think. I merely refused to clarify."

While he argued with Jen, I filled in the rest of the group. "Jen found out last quarter, that's why she had you guys back off. Ranma didn't tell her the name of my fiancé, though, just that I was engaged and didn't like the guy. Which," I held up a hand, fending off their protests, "was true, as far as he knew. We got off to a really rocky start, and our families never helped matters."

I laughed at the next question. "Well, we never actually dated. He was promised at birth to marry one of my father's daughters, and we met for the first time the day it was decided I was that daughter. So, my being his girlfriend is a recent development."

Climbing onto his lap got everyone's attention, ending the fight brewing between the Chinese History Majors. "Yes, Ranma and I are engaged. Yes, we care deeply for each other. No, this was not always the case. When I met him, I thought he was an arrogant ass – and don't misunderstand me, he is – but our families were desperate for us to marry as quickly as possible. That made us resent each other, which prolonged the engagement."

"But, what about all those people you said he strung along, back when we first met you?"

"I said there were four, right? There was me, a Chinese girl whose local customs had dictated that he must marry her, a chef his dad had also promised him to, and a rhythmic gymnast who chased after him because I fought her in a competition; she was crazy, I don't even know her reasoning."

"And the two guys?" Jen was really curious about that, from the look on her face. "You said there was some accident and he had a couple guys interested in him."

"Uh…" I looked at my fiancé, blushing. "Sorry."

He glared at me, clearly debating whether he should throw me off his lap or not. He chose not to, and I stroked his cheek, trying to soothe his ruffled feathers, before leaning in to give him a kiss.

He sighed, still upset. "Come by the room tonight after eight and I'll explain. Now, if the lead weight can move off my legs, I gotta head to class."

I stood, upset. "You don't have to be such a jerk, you know!" I grabbed my things and headed off, wiping away tears of frustration. I didn't know why he was so upset, it's not like we hadn't teased each other about the other fiancées, or the Kunos, or anyone else that used to pursue us. And it's not like I told them his secret! He'd come up with easy lies before, nothing was stopping him from doing it again. There was no reason to play with old insecurities like that.

* * *

I'd avoided the girls during my last class with them, and headed to work without waiting for Ranma. Work had dragged on, the clock slowly moving to my release time. Erica had asked if I was okay, so had just about everyone. I assured them I was fine, but it was hard to work up a smile for my customers. My break passed with no arrival of a fiancé, angry or otherwise, and I began to dread the end of my shift. I tried to get my shift extended, but my manager just told me, "Go home to that boy, make up, and try to hide it better next time." Giving up, I hung my apron, grabbed my bag, and left the building. I walked slowly, not in any rush to go home; Ranma must have been really upset at me, if he didn't even walk me home.

I don't know when I gained a shadow, but I noticed it about three blocks in. Someone was walking a few paces behind me, not making a sound, but I could feel them all the same. This really wasn't my day; I was in no mood to be messed with, but the universe seemed determined to do just that. I stopped and my shadow did, as well. I gripped my bag, ready to use whatever weapon I had on hand, as I turned around and froze. Ranma looked as miserable as I felt, and I relaxed. If he was here, we'd be fine.

I walked to him, stopping about a foot in front of him, waiting. I just looked at him as he stared down at the ground. I was about to speak, or hug him, or something, when he moved first. He pulled me to him and buried his face in my hair, the hair I kept short because he'd once mentioned in passing that he thought it was cute on me. "I'm sorry." I nodded weakly against his chest. "I shouldn't have insulted your weight; we both know that you could weight a lot more than you do, and I'd still be able to lift you."

It wasn't the best apology, but it would do for now. I dropped the bag between us and hugged him back. "I'm sorry for teasing you."

"That's not what upset me."

I leaned back to look at him. "Then what was it?"

He shook his head, glancing up at the dark clouds that had gathered. "I made it so long, I almost thought I could get away with no one knowing."

The first drops began to fall, and my heart hurt for him. "You know, I've never really minded." I had briefly entertained the thought, years ago, that that made me special and he should have been able to see that no one would accept him as I did; I couldn't guarantee how much I'd matured since then, but I took it as a good sign that I no longer expected to be patted on the back for being a decent human being. No one deserved to be belittled for being who they were, regardless of why or how they came to be that way. He looked incredulous. "Okay, I minded that you weren't really a girl, but the curse has been a part of you for as long as I've known you."

"But…"

I laid a finger on his lips, now almost level with my own. I looked down into his eyes and smiled sadly. "You cared, so I cared for your sake." I kissed him again, releasing my hug fully and picking up my bag. "I still love you, whether you look like a girl or not. Are you ready to go home and get out of this rain?"

He took my hand and smiled, before getting nervous again. "What if they think I'm a freak? I don't want you to lose your friends, Akane."

I shook my head. "They're your friends, too. You don't have to tell them the truth if you don't want to; it wouldn't be the first time you lied about it, and I won't hold it against you. We'll hit up one of the bathrooms on the way upstairs."

He was quiet as we walked, not speaking again until he'd changed back. He led the way to our room, where a group was waiting. Our friends seemed to have attracted a lot of attention, as they were chatting with various other residents of our hall. Ranma put his arm around my shoulder, and nodded at the girls. They looked relieved that we weren't fighting, and that he was with me instead of ignoring them and locked in our room.

We led the way inside, and I went to start the kettle for tea while everyone got settled. I went and sat with Ranma on his bed when it was ready, my own being full with the other couple and Lisa and May sitting on the floor. Everyone looked at us expectantly. I squeezed Ranma's knee, letting him know that whatever route he chose, I'd be there to support him.

"Why are you pursuing your Majors?" No one, not even I, was expecting that. He looked at everyone, finally resting his gaze on me.

"Well, I had a lot of credits from university back home, but with the way our lives were back then, I'd never managed to finish a degree. My dream has always been to take over the family dojo, so Exercise Physiology seemed like a good pursuit. I'd have a better understanding of the body and the how's and why's of its movement, which could give me better knowledge of how to teach and treat my students." He nodded, as if expecting my answer. Which, given how well he knew me, he probably did.

May spoke next. "I've been in and out of hospitals my whole life, only recently fully recovering from a childhood illness. I wanted to be the one taking care of people, not the one being taken care of, so I started nursing classes."

Lisa took over. "My family has always been fat, and my parents have put themselves, as well as my siblings and I, through hell with one diet after another, constant gym memberships, using food as a punishment or a reward. I hated that, and I hate the way they can't accept that this is just the way I am. I want to have the knowledge to help other people going through that, so I chose to be a nutritionist."

Then it was Julie's turn, and she shrugged. "I've always been a dancer, so it seemed the obvious choice."

"And you're beautiful on stage." Jen was smiling tenderly. Not moving her eyes from her girlfriend, she spoke. "My parents worked for the WHO, before they died, and taught me a lot of languages. My favorite was Mandarin, so I figured I'd study Chinese history. Never thought that I'd get into it this much."

Ranma nodded, whispering for me to get a couple glasses of water. I brought back one cold and one hot, setting them on the table between the beds. I sat back down, my head on his shoulder, while he took a few breaths to prepare. "I first went to China when I was ten, on a training trip with my father. I went back twice while I was seventeen – once to bring Akane home after she'd been kidnapped," he shook his head as everyone started to speak, "and once because my only chance for a cure was being threatened."

We waited for the questions we knew were coming. "Cure for what?"

He grabbed the glass of cold water in answer, pouring it over his head as I stood to block the door. No one spoke for a few minutes, and Ranma got more and more nervous. I took over the explanation for him, drawing attention away from him. "Jen, what have you heard of the Qinghai province of China?"

She looked confusedly between the two of us. "It's largely uninhabited, a place of myth and legend. What's that got to do with Ranma, and who is that girl?"

"Have you ever heard of Jusenkyo?"

"That's just a fairy tale!" She was looking a little scared. "Magic doesn't exist."

The others were trying to figure out what we were talking about. "What's Jusenkyo?"

Ranma had regained his nerve, and spoke in a soft mezzo soprano voice. "Jusenkyo, the legendary training grounds. Story has it that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of springs, each cursed with a different form. Whoever falls into the waters will take on the form of whatever had drowned in the pool first."

"What do you mean, whatever?" Jen was pale from fright, hearing and seeing the proof of such a story.

I shrugged. "Well, of the people I know who've been there, few have returned without a curse. Ranma takes on the form of a woman. He looked younger when I first met him, so I assume that he'll continue to age in both forms. I also know one who turns into a," I went to Ranma and covered his ears, "cat." I moved my hands and kissed his forehead before continuing. "Then there's the panda." Ranma smiled at the thought of his dad's behavior in such a form. "And the duck." There were snickers as people tried to figure out how a duck drowned. "Or the yeti riding a bull with a crane and eel, that just looks weird."

I stopped, grimacing. Ranma squeezed my hand in reassurance. "Then there's the pig."

Lisa saw my look and had to ask. "What's wrong with the pig? Is it some giant monster boar, or something?"

Ranma grabbed the other glass of water and changed back. "No, and in fact, Akane loved pigs until about two years ago. The guy Jen mentioned earlier, a guy she saw talking to Akane last term, he used to be a friend. He probably still would be, if he hadn't hidden his cursed form from Akane and pretended to be her pet."

I sniffed back a tear. Losing P-Chan was one of the hardest things I'd done. He was the only one I confided my feelings to, not trusting a diary in a house that sheltered perverts like Happosai. Recovering, I took back up the tale. "Cold water releases their cursed form, and hot water, as you can see, turns them back."

Julie seemed to be the only one not surprised. "I guess that makes a weird kind of sense. So, because you look like a girl sometimes, a couple of guys wanted a piece of your ass? It's a pretty nice one, if I may say so." Julie had definitely earned a place as a friend.

"Pretty much." Ranma looked relieved that no one had really freaked out about it. He gave me a sideways glance, before grinning. "And yeah, it is a pretty sweet ass, but not as good as Akane's." I blushed and hid said ass on the bed.

We hung out and chatted for a while longer, before it got too late for guests. Everyone agreed to keep his secret before heading home, and life went back to normal. Well, normal for us.

* * *

A month into the new term, and the diner was closed for remodeling. It was strange not working, but I took advantage of the time off to work on my relationship with Ranma. We still fumbled a little, but we both kept up with our therapy sessions, occasionally doing a joint session, and kept up with our katas to keep us grounded. We sometimes shared a bed, but hadn't progressed further than some heavy making out. We were martial artists, and had repressed our urges long enough that a little more time wouldn't kill us. It was still too new to me, having a man want me the same way I wanted him, and having the opportunity to act on it, but more than that I wanted to talk with my dad.

I hadn't talked to my family since I left, though I had Nabiki's number. Ranma was at work the day I caved and called her, longing for the sounds of home.

#Hello?# I winced, realizing that it was early morning there compared to the late afternoon here. She didn't sound too upset, though, so maybe she was used to getting up that early now.

#May I speak with Tsuwabuki Nabiki, please?#

#Speaking. May I ask who's calling?#

#Nabiki, it's… it's Akane.#

#About time you checked in, missy. How's the US? How's school? Anyone interesting in your life?#

I laughed, thrilled to just hear her again. I shook my head, realizing that I'd need to talk to Ranma before I brought him up to my family. #Sorry, I've been busy with school and work. It's different over here, though I made some friends my first day of class.#

#That's my baby sister, always a crowd pleaser.# I could hear the smile, and hastily wiped away a few tears.

#School is going well. Between what classes I'd managed to finish before I left and the program here, I should have my degree after this and three more terms.#

#And boys? Never mind, I don't think I want to hear it. Where'd you end up, anyway?#

I hesitated. What if she knew where Ranma was? I'd cross that bridge when I got to it. #Well, there is a man I like, but I'm not ready to talk about him. I'm in Nebraska.#

#Nebraska, hm? I know someone else out that way, due to graduate around the same time.#

Okay, she knew where Ranma was, I was certain of it. He was only one term ahead of me, but he'd had a lot more missed classes before leaving Japan. I looked at the clock, not realizing that we'd been on the phone that long. I needed to head out to pick up Ranma soon. #Nabiki? I'm sorry I haven't called before now. I'll call you again soon, but I have to go now. Tell everyone I love them?#

#Tell them yourself!# We both laughed. #Okay, I'll tell them, but call them soon? And try not to do it so early next time, you'll wake the baby.#

#Baby?! Oh, I really have missed a lot, haven't I. I'll call you again soon, I promise. Bye.# She said goodbye and the call ended.

I grabbed my stuff and ran to the dojo. Ranma and I needed to have a serious discussion soon.

* * *

I bowed to the owner of the dojo and watched as Ranma led a cool down session for his students. He had a new class, most of his students having moved on to the next level. As soon as class was dismissed, he came to give me a kiss. I was getting used to this, always eager for the moments when we greeted each other. The Master gave us a knowing look and I blushed, recalling my last conversation with the man. Ranma had wanted me to demonstrate today, so I wore spandex leggings under my skirt and a tight t-shirt; I hated wearing clothes like this, but I didn't have a gi and this was the best I could do.

He pulled me to the center of the mats before gaining his students' attention. That's when I realized that his class wasn't actually over for twenty more minutes. "You're going to have me do this in front of your students? What if I mess up? I haven't done this outside the room in ages!"

He stroked my arm, before stepping away. "Class, this is my fiancé, Akane-san." The students greeted me from their chairs, and Ranma spoke back up. "If you recall, I told you there would be a demonstration. This is not of karate, but of a school known as 'Anything Goes.' As the name suggests, it borrows from a number of disciplines, with the sole goal of bringing your opponent to yield." While he explained what we were going to be doing, more students filed in. I guess the notice went to all the classes, because there was the woman who got me to realize my feelings for Ranma coming in with her son. She didn't seem to recognize me, though, as she took a seat.

"Whenever you're ready, Akane." I realized he'd finished his speech, and had settled into a battle stance. I took the once familiar pose, and beckoned him.

We started slowly, a jab here, a feint there, kicking and blocking and punching and dodging our way through the room. I knew he was taking it easy on me, he always had, but I was so out of practice that it didn't bother me for a change. We sped up, using the walls, floor and even the high ceiling as launching points while we fought aerially. I saw an opening and went for it, not seeing my mistake until it was too late; he'd thrown me and I didn't have time to recover my landing. He must have seen it, too, because before I hit the mat I was in his arms, a worried look on his face.

He set me down and retook his stance, waiting. I grinned and bowed, trying to catch my breath from the workout I'd just had. "I yield." The room went from deathly silent to thunderously loud as the students and staff erupted in cheers and questions. I walked to Ranma, leaning against his chest while his hands clenched at my back. I patted his pectoral and tilted my head up to look at him. "I'm fine. It was my mistake to make, and you didn't let me get hurt."

"That mistake could have cost you your life."

I sighed, slightly irritated. "But it didn't, and you got to show off your speed." I reached up and turned his head to me, standing on my toes for a kiss. "Ranma, I don't want to fight. Please." He scratched at his hair, frustrated, before nodding. "With how out of practice I am, I'm surprised I made it that long. Maybe I should find a brooding Japanese man to teach me."

He frowned at me. "I'm not brooding."

I patted his cheek. "Whatever you say."

The Master approached, confused and intrigued. "Ranma, my boy, I knew you were a show-off the day I hired you, I just didn't realize how much of a show-off you could be." He grinned and looked at me. "Miss, I'm a little stumped, though. Why'd he catch you?"

"Hero complex." I felt Ranma stiffen beside me, so I looked at him softly. "I'm joking. Mostly." Looking back at the Master, I smiled. "I made a mistake that could have seriously injured me. I overreached to connect, and didn't have time to make a safe landing before hitting the ground. In a real fight, with an opponent of similar speed, I could have a broken back, or died on impact with the ground."

He nodded gravely. "That would be too bad. That speed, though, that's something else! I've never seen anyone move that fast before! And Ranma's even faster than you were showing, ain't he?"

"He is, that's how he was able to catch me." I grabbed my fiancé's hand, noticing his worried look again. "I'm **fine**. Besides, how long has it been since you've seen me fight my own fight?"

He clenched his jaw, gripping me tightly.

I bowed to the Master, excusing us, and asked for everyone's attention again. "Excuse me! There's one more lesson before we're done." I looked at Ranma when he refused to let go of my hand. He gave it up with a sigh then stood facing me while I spoke to everyone assembled. "Who saw what happened at the end?"

Almost every hand was raised. I called on one of the older students. "You hit him, then Sensei was holding you."

I smiled slightly. "You are mostly correct. Sensei? If you could repeat the attack that left you open, slowly, for your students to see?" He seemed to understand what I was doing as I took up my stance across from him. We traded blows slowly, until his opening showed. I overreached again, deliberately, and he threw me to the mat. "Who can tell me what I did wrong?"

Ranma called on another student, this one younger; I recognized him from the last class I'd observed. "You were off in your stance, by about an inch. You reached too far."

"Correct, and as a result, she was thrown." Ranma helped me stand, and finished the lesson for the class. "If I were fighting her for real, or wasn't as quick as I am, that mistake could have caused serious injury. This slowly, this close to the ground, all that happened was a firm landing. If that happened any faster, she could have broken bones, or worse." He paused, looking at each student individually. "I'm not Sensei to all of you, but all of you can learn from this. What we teach you here, all the katas and forms and stances, we teach you for a reason. That reason is to prevent what just could have happened. We want you as safe as you can be, while practicing the arts of fighting."

The Master came up, finishing the discussion on why training so hard was important, while Ranma and I bowed to the audience and waited as they left. When the room was clear, we grabbed our things and headed to the counter. I bowed again to the Master. "Master, I have a request."

"Go on, Missy, I'm listening."

"I would like to borrow your space for a time every week, to correct the mistakes my lack of practice has allowed to accumulate."

"Am I correct in assuming that Ranma will be aiding you?"

"You are."

"Allow me to observe and assist, and you've got a deal. We can do it between afternoon and evening classes, say, Thursday?"

I closed my eyes, before looking to Ranma for confirmation. We'd have to cut our dates short, but he nodded, looking relieved at my request. I looked back at the man behind the counter. "That works for us, as well."

* * *

Midterms had arrived, not that any of us were worried. We were more than prepared for tests, but not for the long weekend ahead of us. I was nervous for less obvious reasons, wondering if Ranma would remember. He'd never said it on his own, always waiting until everyone else had done it first, so I never knew if he was goaded into it or if he realized it on his own. No matter what, though, I needed to call my family.

I laid on my bed going over notes from that day while he was on the floor meditating. I knew I was being melodramatic, but I couldn't help it. "Hey, Ranma?" He grunted in response. Not unusual for interrupting his concentration. "I was thinking of calling home. Do you want to talk to anyone if I do?"

He stood and stretched, popping joints in an almost comical way, before he lay down next to me. "Whatcha wanna go and do that, for?" He moved the notepad, snuggling close.

"Oh, no reason, I guess. I just miss them."

He cocked an eyebrow. "No reason, huh? Not calling to have them wish you happy birthday?"

I swatted him lightly. "So you actually noticed, hm?"

"Course I did. I may act stupid, but I'm not really that unaware." He was quiet for a bit. "I'd rather not talk to them; the last time I talked to Pop, it didn't end well."

I sat up. "You talked with your dad? When?"

He frowned at the loss of contact, pulling me down again. "Couple of months ago." Before we got together, then.

I sighed, resting my head on his chest. "I want to be able to tell them."

He grumbled beneath me. "Why? You know they're just gonna try and force us to get married."

He was right, and I knew it. "Because I hate hiding it, and I love you. Besides, don't you want to get married?"

He was probably rolling his eyes at me, given his tone of voice. "Of course I do, dummy, but I want to do it after we're graduated. Wouldn't have given you that ring you never wear, if I didn't."

I blushed, realizing that he would have noticed the lack of jewelry almost immediately. "I just don't want anything to happen to it, is all. And don't call me a dummy, dummy." I leaned up to stick my tongue out at him.

"Oh, really mature, tomboy."

"Show off."

"Cute."

I didn't have a comeback for that, so I kissed him instead. "Can I at least tell Nabiki?"

"Only if you do me a favor."

I didn't like the look he was giving me, but I'd play his game. "And what's that?"

"Put on the damned ring."

"Done and done." I pulled the ring from my purse and slid it on, still not sure how he got the size right, before going to call my sister. She seemed somehow unsurprised that we'd hooked up, and I cast a glance at Ranma before shaking my head. He wouldn't have said anything, would he?

* * *

There were only two weeks left in the term when I learned I was out of a job permanently. Ranma was at work when the phone rang, and given the time I thought that it was Nabiki checking in on us. It had been a month since I told her that Ranma and I were dating, and while I still hadn't gotten the nerve to call my family, she wasn't pushing it, nor had she told them that we talked regularly.

I picked up the phone. #Hello?#

There was a pause on the other end of the line, but I could tell that they hadn't hung up. Wondering if I'd been mistaken, I switched to English. "Hello?"

"Miss Tendo?"

"Speaking. May I ask who's calling?"

"This is Mitch Ellison, from the Boxcar Diner."

"Of course, Mister Ellison, what can I do for you? Is the diner ready to be reopened?"

"That's what I'm calling about. I'm sorry, Miss Tendo, but the Boxcar will not be reopening. Due to some issues, we've had to close our doors permanently. Thank you for your service with us, you were a valued employee."

The diner had been one of my favorite places, and I'd really enjoyed working there. "Thank you for letting me know, Mister Ellison. Have a pleasant evening."

Well, this certainly stank. After all the time I'd spent looking for a job when I started school here eight months ago, I'd thought that I'd settled for being a waitress, but I'd actually come to love it. Now I had to start over again.

I looked around the room and felt the tears fighting their way out. Nothing came easily to me – not love, not martial arts, not even crying – and now there was going to be one more thing that didn't come easily: money. Ranma and I had needed to dip into my modest savings while the diner was being remodeled; he just didn't bring in enough on his own to afford food and school for the both of us, and he'd refused to call off our weekly date, insisting that we needed to get out of our room and away from our friends or we'd both backslide in our relationship. I'd known he was right. What were we going to do, once my funds ran out? The allowance that Nabiki had set up for me had been cancelled half way through last term, on my insistence.

I needed to get my head back on straight. This wasn't the end of the world, just a small setback. I had survived the loss of my mother, the decline of my father and family. I had the love of a good man, and the support of my friends (probably that of my older sister, too, but I wasn't going to bet on those odds). I could do this! It was just finding a job, again.

I would start my hunt as soon as Ranma got home.

* * *

Finals were done. I was half-way through my time in the US, having promised Nabiki I'd come back after school was over. I still didn't have a job, and I was having to pull out every tricked I'd learned in therapy to keep from fighting with Ranma. I was stressed, and the jerk didn't seem to care! He just ran me through my katas before bed, and on Thursdays ran me through my paces at the dojo. He wouldn't even let me talk to the Master to see if _he_ had any ideas. It was almost like he wanted me to change who I was.

I'd never planned on just being a housewife. It had never appealed to me, beyond the obvious reasons of 'can't cook to save a life.' Growing up, I had always wanted to take over the dojo when my dad couldn't do it any longer, but that dream almost died with my mom. Then Ranma showed up, and our dads decided we would get married and _together_ we would carry on the dojo. I thought, even though we've certainly had our differences, that he understood that carrying on the dojo – with or without him – was my life.

Sure, I'd all but given up martial arts in the last few years, but I'd always planned on going back to it. It was what carried me through Mom's death. Giving it up hadn't really been a choice, but Ranma never let me fight my own fights; he always had to get me out of the way, even if it meant breaking his cardinal rule of not fighting women. _He_ was the one who fought Shampoo, with few exceptions. _He_ was the one who fought Ukyo, and Kodachi, at least until all the other girls who wanted him started fighting each other. And if he didn't get hit or kicked by me, he usually caught up with me once the fight was about him instead of with him.

He always complained that I got in his way, but… thinking on it now, I can almost see that was his way of showing he cared. And just like that, I was tired, not angry with him. I sat on my bed, computer open to some research page to prepare for next term, but I wasn't even looking at it. I sighed, resting my head against the wall. Why couldn't I have figured this out years ago? The simple answer is I was young. I didn't have any brothers, my father was a wreck, and I was attacked daily by boys insisting that they loved me and therefore wanted to do me harm; was it any wonder I only saw the bad in the one boy I could gain insight from? Girls weren't much better, but there seemed to be more variety; it wasn't even close to every girl I knew being jealous of the attention boys paid me, but it was common enough that I never even blinked at the open hostility I got from my so-called rivals – I was used to it, to an extent. I guess they felt threatened that he lived with me, ate with me, went to school with _me_.

I looked at the clock. It would be mid-morning back in Nerima, so I picked up the phone, dialed the number I'd known my whole life, and waited.

A gruff voice finally picked up. #Hello?#

I couldn't chicken out now, they could find the number. If they knew it was me, they wouldn't bother unless I gave them reason to. #Hi, Daddy.#

The silence stretched, and I started sweating. The voice, when it came again, was barely a whisper. #A-A-Akane?#

#Yes, Daddy. I miss you.#

I could just imagine the tears streaming down his face, hearing the sniffles as he tried to keep himself under control enough to talk. His voice was a little steadier. #I miss you, too, baby girl. When are you coming home?#

His voice had cracked on the last word, and I couldn't blame him. I still felt it was home, but it didn't call to me the same way anymore. Maybe because Ranma wasn't there. He would be, when I got back, but it wasn't quite _home_ yet. #Another ten months, at least. Maybe as long as a year. I want to finish my degree, first.#

#You… you went back to school?#

#Yep. Needed to get away from the craziness long enough to finish my education. You're not… upset with me, are you Daddy?#

The tears were once again clear, but he sounded more like his old self, crying happily. #No, of course I'm not! You're doing what you need to do, and you're coming home afterwards. I couldn't ask for anything more than that.#

Now I was crying! #I'm so glad to hear that.#

He sounded nervous again. #You haven't found him, have you?#

I rolled my eyes. I knew this was coming, it was a large part of why I hadn't called earlier. #I'm not looking for him. I need to focus on getting myself in order before I can commit my life to him again.# It was true, I wasn't looking for him, but I wasn't going to tell everyone back home that I'd found him, either. It was equally true that I needed to get my own head on straight before I could go back to being part of 'Ranma and Akane.'

#Wah! My baby girl's abandoning her fiancé!#

#DAD! I am not! I just need some time to figure out who I am, anymore. I promise, as soon as I'm back, I'll take up my role as fiancé to the heir of the Anything Goes School again.# I looked at my ring, taking strength from the feel of the silver between my fingers, then looked at the clock. #Can I talk to Kasumi? I don't have much longer I can stay on the line, and I'd like to talk to her for a bit before I have to go.#

#Wah! My baby girl doesn't want to talk to me anymore!#

#Oh, honestly, Daddy, I can call you again next week, but I have to be someplace soon.#

My eldest sister must have taken the phone away while he was sobbing, because hers was the next voice I heard. #Hello?#

#Hi, Kasumi.#

#Oh! Akane! To what do we owe this pleasure?#

Was it me, or did she actually sound sarcastic there? #I just wanted to hear everyone again. I'll be gone about as long as I have been, before I'm done here, and then I'll be back.#

#Don't rush on our account.#

Yep, definitely being sarcastic. I wasn't sure if I could handle it. #Kasumi, just listen to me for a bit before commenting, then you can yell at me all you want.# Silence reigned, and so I took the plunge. #I NEEDED to get out of there. I needed to finish school, to do one thing for myself – which I haven't done since I was sixteen, by the way – before I resigned myself to always being second to Ranma. He's been first in my life since he showed up, and the fact that it took me leaving the damned country to finish my degree just proves that. I've been involved in never ending fights and training trips for almost six years. SIX YEARS, Kasumi. I lost my chance to finish maturing, I lost my chance to find love on my own, and I lost my chance to make a choice for myself, until I took the one possibility I had and ran with it.#

I took a deep breath before continuing more calmly. #I'm in therapy, big sister. I'm trying to do what would have taken me a couple years in just a few months, so I can go home and let you live your own life. I'm doing this as much for you and Daddy as I am for myself. I'm even doing it for Ranma. I love him, you know? I really do, and I'm tired of the status quo. Can you understand that?#

Again there was silence, but it didn't last as long this time. #I… I can, and I do. I'm jealous, you know?#

#I didn't know, but I'm not surprised. You had to give up everything, too. Do me a big favor while I'm still away?#

There was an edge to her voice again, but it was more subdued. #What is it?#

#Do things for yourself. Take a vacation, go on dates, run away from home, I don't care what it is, but do something for you.#

The silence was different this time, somehow. I could almost picture her confused blinking. #Nabiki managed to do it without going to extremes, but neither Ranma nor I did, sis.#

There was a hint of the shrewdness Nabiki always had in her voice, now. #And how would you know that?#

I bit my lip, trying to figure out how to not give away too much. #I've been in contact with him. But please don't tell anyone! He's trying to get himself straightened out, and you know that will never happen if anyone knows where he is. I know that he's planning on coming back, and it won't be too much longer. He may even get back before I do; I don't know his timeline. What I do know is that he wouldn't want you to be miserable. Please, if not for yourself, then for us, take care of YOU first and foremost. It's beyond time for Daddy to take care of himself again.#

She laughed, suddenly. #Sorry, I just realized you can't see me nodding. I will, little sister.#

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, smiling. #Thank you.# I looked up at the clock and swore. #Sorry, Kasumi, I need to get off the phone. I'll call again soon, I promise!#

#Don't sweat it. Take care of yourself.#

#Bye.#

I put down the receiver just as Ranma got home.


End file.
